04 For Myself
by Kyeian
Summary: -COMPLETE- Turn about's fair play in love and war. After everything I've done for you, it's time for me to do something for myself. This is the fourth story of Chance or Circumstance. This story contains original characters.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I just wanted to say that when you see a number, like 27, it's meant to be read as "two-seven" not "twenty-seven". Also, 0 (zeros) aren't meant as "zero", they're meant as "oh"...so A0206 is "A oh two oh six"...just to differentiate why there actually are numerals in the text.

That aside, I didn't get around to explaining it in this story, but the "As" of their "As model phones" stands for "active sensor" or "active scan" something along that lines. It's one of those ones that some people have and some people don't.

I'm also using the concept of clusters when referring to the colonies, meaning that L-5 consists of 4 individual colonies where L-4 is 5 or 6 individual colonies.

As for pronunciations, "Qingfu" is supposed to be pronounced "Shingfu".

Standard disclaimers apply, (i.e. I don't own or earn money from Gundam Wing, or any product I happen to mention.

**One**

"Okay, so how do you make it project more'n two feet?" Duo muttered, messing with options on a program he'd had Heero make him.

"Why do you need it to be more than two feet?" Heero returned blankly. "Your head's not _that_ big."

Duo blinked at the phone a moment. "What?" he demanded.

"I know you have an ego that's pretty big," Heero returned, sounding vaguely amused. "But..."

"You only made it for my phone?" Duo demanded, stopping as the workers turned to look at him—at least, the ones already present.

"You said you wanted a device that would keep people from hearing what you say on your phone," Heero retorted. "So I took the time to make you one."

"I _appreciate_ it," Duo retorted, then sighed. "That's not what I meant, though. I meant I wanted it portable."

Heero snorted. "I actually figured that part out already."

Duo sighed again. "Oh well...I'll figure something out. I do appreciate it."

"Yeah," Heero reassured him. "I know...but my break is up, so I have to go."

"Yeah, later," Duo agreed, then hit the button to end the call. He fiddled again, and turned off speaker-phone. He _should_ have just made the program himself, but he always had to try things and make sure they worked first—Heero's rarely _didn't_ work.

"Look at you," Reg called, moving to the fence of the area. "What are you doing back already?"

"We're talking at the podium," Duo returned easily.

"What?" she asked, noting his tone was not playful.

"I need to get my gear on," Duo retorted, "then I need to look over what you all did last week, then me and you are talking."

"Did someone turn you in?" she demanded, trialing after him as the various workers gave him sidelong looks. "For that fight?"

"Fight?" Duo asked, looking back to her in confusion.

"Or did Bass decided to charge you with sexual harassment?" she added in a darker tone, her glare going to the parking lot.

Bass? Was that the guy's name? Probably a good thing to know. He flashed her a grin and shook his head. "I'll talk to you when I'm changed," he noted, then moved into the locker-room.

Reg was standing at the podium when he moved from the area. She was glaring at the big guy he'd fought with...and the guy looked confused. She looked to Duo, and he followed her focus...and stared at Duo a moment, then grinned wickedly and moved forward.

"So help me I will knock you on your ass here and now if you don't get to work," Duo informed him coolly, breezing past him. With everything that had been going on, Quatre's hair not-the-least, he'd completely forgotten about the fight. The guy probably felt proud to have chased Duo off the work-site.

The man stared at him in confusion.

Duo didn't look back, moving up to the woman and setting his phone speaker-up on the box in front of him. No one was in hearing range, and with the program Heero'd made for him, no digital means should be able to record his voice.

"What's going on?" she asked, focusing on the phone. "What are you..."

Duo reached over and pulled her head forward over the phone, making sure no one was near again.

"War..." she started, attempting to pull back.

"My name is Duo Maxwell," he said in a low voice. "I'm a Brigadier General of the Earthsphere Alliance. I fought in the Eve Wars in a gundam...the gundam Deathscythe."

She stared at him.

"And don't even give me that bullshit about making stuff up. I don't care enough to lie about these things...I thought I'd told you one of those times you stayed over and we were drinking—you were giving me enough looks the next day."

Her eyes narrowed, and her expression turned bland. "You don't remember that night?"

He thought back and shook his head.

"You're not even kidding," she retorted, pulling back to glower at him with her arms crossed. "You honestly don't remember."

Duo raised an eyebrow at her.

"You _seduced_ me _ten_ ways from Sunday."

He froze, staring into her eyes.

"We spent half the night in my apartment, and when I woke up you were gone. You're _such_ an asshole!" she moved forward to start hitting his arm.

Duo started laughing in sheer disbelief, allowing her to hit him. He had a feeling he deserved that and worse...

She stopped suddenly, her eyes landing on the phone.

"What?" he asked, rubbing at his sore arm.

"What..." she started to speak, then hesitated. Her eyes moved onto his after a moment, and she crossed her arms again. This time, though, she looked toward the ground.

"Um...I'm sorry," he muttered, moving closer to her again. "I really didn't mean to..."

"You're serious," she returned, raising her eyes to his again.

It took him a moment to understand that she wasn't referring to him being a pig.

She looked back to him again, studying his face, then looked away. "I have to...get work done."

"Reg..." he started, moving after her. He stopped, though, snatching his phone up. "Regie..."

She didn't look back to him.

"Regina," he snapped.

She turned, looking him over again, then smiled slightly. "You can't just announce something like that and expect it to be received with aplomb, War. Give me some time to think."

He stopped, studying her face, then nodded, looking away.

"We'll talk at lunch," she informed him, then turned.

Duo watched her go, then focused on his phone to end the program. The phone was starting to heat up, and he didn't want to fry _another_ phone.

"Did she say you two slept together?" the big guy asked, moving closer to Duo in disbelief.

"Evidently," he agreed, popping the battery cover off to remove the device—that bit was almost too hot to touch, but he tucked it into his pocket anyway.

The man stared at him.

"Uh...right, you need my signature?" he added, getting his mind back to the business at hand. He put the battery cover back onto his phone, then slipped the thing into his breast-pocket, meeting the man's eyes. "Sorry about last week. A lot of stuff started happening really fast."

"You're him, aren't you?" the man said in a low voice, studying Duo's eyes.

"Him?" Duo asked blankly. "You're supposed to call me Temblar, and you're supposed to be doing a job."

The man stared at him a moment longer, then nodded his head and looked around. "I'll go find the clipboard."

- -

"I need speed," Wufei returned dryly.

"Oh, you're a racer?" the man gave him an interested look. "If you are..."

"No, I need a street legal machine built for speed," Wufei gave the man an annoyed look.

"We have several models..." the guy started.

"I want that one," he pointed at the motorcycle the man kept leading him away from.

"We have much more..."

"You haven't even asked after my budget," Wufei reminded him. "I want this machine; shouldn't we do something like a credit check?"

The man studied him with narrowed eyes. "Just how much were you looking to spend?"

"How much does this cost?" Wufei retorted, indicating the thing. "Double that, because I need two."

That made the guy blink.

"Though I suppose he'll come pick up his own," Wufei noted, realizing Duo probably wouldn't appreciate it. It'd be annoying to transfer that sort of funding around, and Wufei was not going to _buy_ him a bike. They weren't _that_ good of friends, and he didn't really have _that_ sort of money. His salary was a bit less than theirs, though his pay from the ESA kept the difference from being astounding.

"Well, why don't we go start filling out paperwork?"

"Did I say I needed a loan?" Wufei asked, following after. "I could have sworn I mentioned a credit check."

The man rolled his eyes, then gestured for the offices.

Wufei led the way, almost wishing he had his uniform on. That'd make things ten times simpler.

- -

"You're not kidding?" Matty demanded of Blake in amusement. "You're really switching to flooring?"

The man flashed him a grin and shrugged. "It's a step up in pay, and the hours are usually better...at least sometimes."

"The hours can suck," Matty retorted. "But whatever."

"Besides, if it worked for you, why can't it work for me?"

Matty flashed him a grin and made a gesture.

"I figure you'll train me up, and I'll work here a month or two, then find some killer guy or something and make out like a bandit."

"I don't know about that," Matty noted. "The only perfect anything I found _is_ Max."

"Perfect?" the man asked dryly. "You're not goin' screwy on me, are you? You're not going giddy like a sixteen year old girl, are you?"

Matty laughed and bounced forward...there was a clatter behind him, and Blake looked down in confusion.

"What is that?" the guy asked, starting to bend down.

"Nothing!" Matty darted down to scoop up the flash-tab that had fallen out of his pocket. "I forgot to take them out of my pocket before work."

"What is that?" Blake persisted. "I thought it was a condom until it clattered."

"I wouldn't carry a condom in work," Matty retorted dryly, cramming the tab further into his pocket.

While Duo, Quatre, and Heero were off god-knew-where picking up...picking up the gundam...

Matty stared distantly across the carpet section, feeling a vast sort of hollowness around him. He had every time he'd thought of the gundam.

But, while the three of them were off getting Deathscythe, and Wufei was piloting the one called Demigod from space, that had left him with Trowa. Jinli had decided to hold off moving down for another week or two to make sure he couldn't salvage what he had left on that colony. Trowa had stayed with him until evening had fallen, and then noted he was leaving...and was gone.

He understood why they weren't telling him where the gundams were being held. He understood why they weren't telling him where the gundams were _going_ to be held. That didn't mean he had to like it...let alone the reason _why_.

No one knew where Ranger _was_...let alone the rest of the rebels.

At any rate, Wufei had shown up on Thursday—truth be told, there'd only been the one night with Trowa—but that was odd enough. Matty hadn't really appreciated knowing he was sleeping a bed away and no one else in the mammoth apartment. Wufei had come back with Trowa Friday evening, and then a few hours later, Heero and Quatre had shown up.

Matty smiled slightly to himself, moving to the computer to log in. Blake seemed to have accepted he wasn't getting an answer, so Matty wasn't going to fuss about it.

Duo had come in near one in the morning. Matty and Heero had spent the earlier portion of the night together in the one room, but Heero still preferred sharing the main sleeping area. He'd said something about having the others around him that Matty assumed had to do with being accustomed to it—but he and Heero had been sleeping out there, and Duo had woke him up.

It was strange to think that he didn't mind being petted.

Matty grinned more as he started setting up a login for Blake.

Duo'd been using Heero's chest to prop himself up, and hand ran a hand through Matty's hair while Quatre stood a few steps behind. He'd smiled down at Matty and showed him one of the flash-tabs. It had made Heero guffaw—evidently Duo liked using flares and flashes.

At any rate, Duo'd given him the one tab before going off to bed, but when everyone had been awake properly, he'd moved up to Matty with a larger handful.

They were for him, so if Ranger or any of the others came too near, he could break the thing—it was a snapping motion along a middle-line—and throw it. Snapping it would cause an instant bright light, and he had to throw it into the air a certain way so when the entire tab flared up, it was a bit above head height.

They'd all noted that people couldn't look away from that sort of thing without being trained to it—and they'd also noted that no armies had used the flares consistently enough to assume Ranger would know it and how to look away. Even so, though, the initial break would give him a sunspot, and the intent was for Matty to run with everything he had to get _away_. They'd stressed that, all five of them had stressed that. There was no use presuming Ranger would respect cops, and they all doubted the man would respect civilians. He was to run, and not in a straight line.

It made him uneasy to know they thought Ranger coming after him was a possibility.

"There," he muttered to Blake, shifting back. "Make up a password and I'll pretend not to watch."

The man grinned at him and thought a moment before typing quickly.

"And you now have an account in carpeting."

"You aren't going to charge me, are you?" the man asked wryly.

"Depends on what you want me to train you to do," Matty reassured him, grinning wickedly. "If it's just to sell carpets, probably not if you're not stupid. If you _really_ want me to teach you how I got Max..."

The man half giggled at that, looking around. "We can talk on that later, I think."

Matty started laughing, pulling out one of the binders of information. "Start by looking through that. You need to learn it all eventually, but it's not like it's homework until Mr. Manager shows up."

"Mr. Manager?" Blake demanded, pulling a second chair to him—the desk was long with plenty of room for one person at the computer and one with an open binder.

"Yamasotosan?" Matty offered.

"I don't speak Chinese," the man noted, giving him a look from the corner of his eye.

"Good thing that was Japanese," Matty retorted.

Blake grinned, looking up at him.

"Our super is Gore Fiarlis...I think he looks Asian, but no one knows what the origin of Fiarlis would be."

"Sounds like Sanc to me," the man noted, looking back to the binder.

Matty suppressed his urge to note that he knew the heirs of that country. Minister Darlian had been nice enough to him—even if she was a skanky bitch trying to screw Heero—and he got along well enough with Milliardo. Or was it Zechs? The others seemed to use the two names interchangeably, and the man himself responded to both without showing a preference.

If they didn't call him Peacecraft or Marquise just as much, he'd have thought it was something like first-name last-name association.

"You're as distant as the moon," Blake noted, looking up to him. "Where the hell even _were_ you last week?" he studied Matty a long moment. "I know something happened to you, but I can't figure out _what_. There was a huge fuss and you disappeared before your shift was up...and were gone two weeks, then you came back and worked like normal...and one day I'm hearing about imaginary friends and a party, and the next you're nowhere to be found and don't show up for work for another week...then you do show up and you've got rings under your eyes and flash-tabs in your pocket."

Matty focused on him sharply.

"My dad was in the military," the man noted. "Why do you have flash-tabs?"

"I can't talk about it," Matty noted, looking away down an aisle. He hadn't thought the man would recognize the things.

"I don't understand what's happening," Blake said quietly. "But whatever it is, I'll do what I can to help...it's not...not Max, is it?"

"Not in a way that question implies," Matty returned, meeting his eyes with a slight smile. "I'm okay, though, really...just tired."

"Where were you?" the man asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Space," Matty returned, focusing across the section, hoping someone would come up so the conversation could end.

"Again?"

Matty grinned slightly, looking around to the man. "When you find your perfect man and he tells you in no-uncertain terms that you shouldn't do something—don't do it."

That got him a raised eyebrow.

He sighed, focusing back on the screen and pulling up the schedules. He preferred knowing more or less what time slots would be free—it made him sound less ignorant when dealing with the customers.

"Space," Blake mused, shifting back where he sat. "You hear about all the military shit going on up there?"

"I don't watch the news," Matty returned, forcing himself to remain relaxed.

"There was one or two things on the news," Blake noted. "My dad _is_ military, though. How could you not know anything if you were _in_ space...and you have flash-tabs?"

"Blake," Matty said with a sigh, meeting the man's eyes. "I already said I can't talk about it...and let's add that I'd rather not _think_ about it. The flash-tabs are like a taser, only brighter."

The man grinned at that, then rolled his eyes.

"My man likes to think I'm safe," Matty reminded him almost drolly.

Blake laughed at that, then shoved the binder so it was between them. "Fine, if you don't want to think, then teach me."

"That doesn't work on so many levels," Matty noted, leaning forward so his head was propped against one elbow on the desk. "You know that, don't you?"

Blake grinned at him, then flipped back to the beginning of the book. "So tell me what this is supposed to mean...and how much an interior decorator's eye do we need?"

"I like to think I don't have one," he noted skeptically. "I don't have one."

Blake snorted at him.

That was fair enough, really—the lie would prove itself the first time someone asked him advice.

He didn't have to think about it until then though...and until Ranger was standing there staring at him, he didn't have to think about the flash-tabs...and until mobile suits started attacking, he didn't have to worry about them either.

So why was it so hard to get to sleep at night?

- -

Trowa saved the file to the server, then closed it. He highlighted the file for whichever dumbass in accounting had to look at it, and backed out to his main inbox.

He wasn't sure why, but it was a relief to have one more done.

His inbox had been a nightmare since the beginning of the year...since their colony vacation that had ended with rescuing Matty in a single-stupid act of bravery that had slapped the lower general's star back on his lapel.

He hoped Cardle, Raymond, and Ricci were doing okay. He'd had them helping him figure stuff out while he was there—and special-ops hopefuls needed more than they were getting.

He could call them down to him—have them be his wingmen.

He might have needed them if _he_ were piloting a gundam.

The slight longing in him to _see_ Heavyarms pulsed again, but he suppressed it. Sending the damn things to the sun would have made things so much easier.

Without even a tap, someone started to push into the office, and he glowered up...until he realized it was Tim.

"Hey," Tim muttered, closing the door carefully and moving across the room with a couple cups of coffee in hand. "I was starting to wonder if you'd died...or fallen asleep," he grinned. "No one's seen hide nor hair of you out there and some of'em were wondering if you were actually here or not."

Trowa grinned at that, taking his cup. It was still steaming up, but he took a small sip anyway—it tasted good.

"For some reason, I have barely anything to do...like...ever...anymore."

Trowa tilted his head, then focused on blowing at the hot liquid.

"When you didn't show up for work Monday, everyone started freaking out and demanding what was going on...they'd seen the news clip about the satellite interruption, and the anchor had mentioned something about possible but unconfirmed fighting. It was like, an obsession until Tuesday afternoon. Work caught up with everyone and they had to buckle down—but I'm not getting as much crap to work through anymore."

Trowa grinned at that, sipping at the cup again—much cooler, at least for that drink.

"I kept getting looks on Wednesday, then on Thursday they all seemed to be waiting for me to speak. I swear they were hanging on my every word. You only half-listening to me is almost reassuring."

Trowa gave him a look.

Tim grinned at that, then yawned. "Anyway, on Friday Anthony was pestering me about news from you...I was happy when you showed up for work this morning. Being stared at like that is kinda weird. I kept getting the feeling I had something on my face or in my hair."

Trowa guffawed at that.

"No more news?"

"News?" Trowa echoed, meeting his eyes. "Like what? I don't have a TV," he looked the office over. "I should get one, huh?"

Tim grinned at that, still studying him. "You weren't serious, were you? About that benefactor thing? You don't _really_ want me to fill it out, do you?"

"I don't know you well enough to do it myself," Trowa retorted. "And I _do_ need it, because I'm meeting with my lawyer tomorrow, and I'd kind of like to be able to add another name to my scanty list of next-of-kin."

"Scanty?" he asked, blinking.

"My...sister," Trowa grinned slightly. "She took care of me when we first got to earth, and then got all psycho on me when I got amnesia—and was still psycho when Dakim Barton put a bullet in his granddaughter's chest."

Tim lowered the cup to study Trowa uncertainly.

"She got over it," he reassured him, taking another drink. "This is really good."

The compliment took a moment to register, and a look of offense crossed Tim's face.

Trowa sniggered, taking another drink. "She's got a part of my will and all that, but she informed me she'd give the rest to charity if I was so annoying as to croak off...which I suppose is fine and dandy, but..." he shrugged, sitting back again. "So bring that crap to the apartment tonight and we can finish that so I can take that with me. Don't let me forget to get...War and Ian to do more updated stuff," he grinned. He was fairly certain his office was safe, but there was no point _inviting_ trouble.

"But...you're not going to die," Tim protested. "So why bother at all?"

Trowa laughed at that and spilled coffee over the rim of the mug for the trouble. He set that quickly on the desk, grabbing a napkin he'd had from his breakfast and starting to wipe his hands.

"I'm serious," Tim protested, watching him dab the drips from the carpet. "Why go through all the troubles if...if you're not even going to fight."

Trowa looked up at him a long moment, then smiled again. "I didn't say I wouldn't fight," he noted, focusing back on the task. "I never said I wouldn't fight."

"But..."

"But nothing," Trowa cut that off. "Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies—by which I mean to say if you ask, I'll lie."

"That's almost implied in the statement itself," Tim retorted. "And you were stupidly honest with me to begin with."

Trowa grinned up at him, tossing that napkin into the trash basket and looking around for one to wipe the cup off with.

Tim scratched briefly at an eyebrow and shook his head. "Why..." he hesitated. "What time do you want me to come over," he amended. It was pretty obvious to Trowa that it hadn't been what the man had been intending to ask.

"You can ride back to my place with me," Trowa suggested. "Or did you bring your car?"

"Yeah, it's here."

"Oh...well...want to go to a movie?" he picked the cup up to drink again.

"It'll be _your_ fault if your roommates actually decide we're dating," Tim retorted, rising to his feet. "Take me to dinner and we have a deal."

Trowa snorted, watching him head for the door. "Where are you going?"

"Well," Tim turned back with a hand on the knob. "You see...there's this thing called work, and this building is _where_ I work. Sitting down and chatting is all well and good, but I'm supposed to do things so the company can make lots of money so they can pay me. If I'm not doing my things, they aren't making my money. If they aren't making my money, they don't want to pay me. I need them to pay me so I can go do stupid things like eat out and go to the movies...and buy a different phone," he patted his pocket briefly.

"What's wrong with your phone?" Trowa asked blankly.

Tim grinned at him, then pulled the door open. "I have a real break in about a hour."

Trowa gave him a level look as he closed the door behind himself, then grinned and focused back on the computer.

See, there's this thing called work...

- -

Quatre sniffed as another of his coworkers walked by the door to his office, looking in at him. They were trying to be subtle about it, but his hair had confused them all. People had been watching him in dismay all day long, and it was only going on lunch.

Oh well, they'd get used to it after another day. He wasn't close to any of his coworkers. That made him envy Trowa sometimes...and Duo. They both had friends at work—even if the woman gave Duo more bruises than not. That was really part of Regina's charm...and Tim was fun.

He watched another woman go by, averting her eyes quickly when she realized he was watching.

He was not, however, overly upset that none of _them_ were his friends.

He almost wanted the rebels to show up somewhere, he could leave that damned job.

The notion took a long time to work through his mind, and he sighed, saving the work he'd been doing.

It was time, then...to talk to his boss.

"Jason!" the man greeted him several minutes later. "I'm glad to have you back again...but I'm sort of in a rush."

"Keith?"

The man stopped, looking at him properly.

"I only need a moment of your time."

The man sighed heavily, resting back against his desk. "Your sisters been talking to you?"

"No," he returned, studying the man's eyes.

"So that crap they had on the news...were you fighting?"

The disapproval in the question rankled Quatre—the man was a pacifist to his toenails, and if his inheritance had been up for voting, he wasn't all that sure the man would vote _for_ him.

"If I'm fighting, I'm fighting," Quatre returned, studying the man's eyes. "If I have to fight to protect lives, I will fight. If you disapprove, you disapprove. That's not what I'm here for, though."

"Are you quitting?" the man asked quietly. "Do you have to leave now?"

"No," Quatre returned, but went on before the man could relax. "I'm giving you my two week's notice."

The man stared at him.

"You have no idea how grateful I've been to you for allowing me this opportunity. The experience I've gained working with you for this company will be invaluable to me when I step into Winner Enterprises...but at this point, that is not my destination. On..." Quatre glanced at the calendar on the wall. "On April eighteenth, I'll clean out my office. I'll come in on the twenty-first if you really need me to, but after that, I will no longer be an employee of this company."

The man sighed heavily, looking away. After a moment, he extended his hand and met eyes with Quatre. "It's been a pleasure to have you, Quatre. I think your father would be proud of you...and I've been glad to know you were here. The Winner family is the embodiment of ethics..."

Quatre guffawed at that, but felt bad instantly. "Sorry," he muttered, pulling the man into a hug. "I appreciate the sentiment, but Fasiha is pregnant."

The man stared at him.

Quatre half-giggled, then shook his head. "You'll have to get ahold of them yourself. I'm sure she'll kill me for mentioning it...and call me Jason."

The man's eyes flashed in amusement before he nodded his head in acknowledgment.

Quatre grinned at him, then turned and left the room.

He hadn't talked to Fasiha since...probably the day she'd told him she was pregnant. He'd talked a little to Adala, and from what she'd said his sisters seemed fine, but he hadn't talked to her—she should be starting to show, if what he remembered about pregnancy was right.

. . . he needed to call Duo. He'd just quit his job.


	2. Chapter 2

**Two**

For some reason, the bike had been a success.

Duo grinned slightly to himself as he parked it in the building's interior area. It was a monitored section, a room off the entry, that was for both bikes and motorcycles.

Wufei's was already parked.

Today hadn't been the first day Reg had begged a ride from him—her expression when he'd first pulled into the lot had been priceless, though. She'd been watching with interest before he stopped in front of her and offered her the spare helmet he'd more or less been forced to buy...for Matty.

Duo grinned more, latching the helmet to the seat. He'd owned the thing for a week, and a few of the guys from work were just as bad as Matty. The machine had a damn good engine, and he'd had one when they were training him for Deathscythe, so he knew how to carry a rider and go fast.

At any rate, one of the guys he'd worked with for years hadn't been in the queue for the first few days, so when he'd dropped Reg off from her billionth ride and sort of felt obliged to take the guy. Ivan was quiet, and always seemed surprised when Duo included him in any plans he made for the group of them. He was the sort who sat happily in the background and watched, but barely put himself forward.

Duo'd given him a bit of a thrill—and Duo doubted Quatre would like that.

"Late again, Mr. Temblar," Sean, the doorman, noted happily as he moved into the building. "As usual...why aren't you gettin' laid with the butterflies clinging to you the way they do?"

"I'm not single," Duo retorted with a grin, moving to the elevator.

The man gave him an interested look, moving closer to him as he looked around. "Who are you with? If you don't mind my asking."

"Jason," Duo returned with a larger grin.

The man tsked good-naturedly. "You could have any woman you wanted, and you're still gettin' with guys? I will _never_ understand you—or any other bi guy, either. At least gay guys have the good grace to think I'm hot," he posed.

Duo laughed at that, giving the man a look...the man himself laughed even more, then nodded his head respectfully as Duo stepped into the elevator.

It was weird, how normal things had gotten. The gundams were ferreted away in a cave on military land. Only the highest up people on that base even knew they'd be going in and out of the place at will—but it was within the watch-zone, so civilians didn't go near it...and work was work.

He still had to get to the cave and finish the engine check he'd been doing.

He shook his head as the elevator opened, running his hand through his hair. The bikes he and Wufei had bought didn't even raise comment—aside from friends wanting a ride.

Ivan was funny.

Duo grinned, pushing the door open and looking around. He could hear the weight-machine, probably Wufei, and as he closed the door he noted the sound of landing. Most likely Heero going through his forms.

"Duo!" Matty cried happily, appearing over the railing. "Hey! Don't take your gear off yet!"

"What?" he protested, watching the guy scamper down the stairs. "What are you talking about?"

"I want to go on a ride," he explained, jumping the last of the stairs and scrambling to the shoe-shelf. "Wufei said he might take me when he's done with his forms, but that's going to take forever."

"Not without you trying to copy me," Wufei retorted, poking his head over the railing to give Duo a grin.

Duo blinked at him.

"Jinli said he'd move in...he's coming in on Friday."

"Ah," Duo smirked up at the man. "Finally gettin' a boyfriend, huh?"

Wufei guffawed at him.

"Hey, that's what I said, too," Heero noted, and the weight machine hesitated. "He _hit_ me though."

"You said I finally found someone to fuck," Wufei retorted.

"Okay...I gotta ask," Heero sounded a little bland. "What's the difference?"

Matty guffawed, then moved in close to look up at Duo with very wide eyes.

"Don't be cute at me," Duo retorted, shoving him off. "You'll get me in trouble with Heero _and_ my boyfriend."

Matt laughed at that, then tilted his head.

"Yes, I am ignoring that," Quatre noted from the bedroom side. He moved out a minute later with a magazine, moving up to kiss Duo.

"Let's keep doing that," Duo suggested, moving toward him.

"You're taking Matty for a ride," Quatre retorted, looking back to the page. "When you get back."

"I never said I'd take him," Duo protested.

Matty smacked him.

Quatre gave him a look. "_When_ you get _back_."

That sounded promising. Duo considered arguing the matter, then sighed and gave Matty a look. "You win."

"Want a kiss for it?" Matty asked dryly.

"Not from you," Quatre retorted happily, turning away. "And he better not be gettin'em from anywhere else, either."

"Don't get all bitchy on me," Duo retorted, heading for the door. "If you get bitchy at me, we'll fight."

Quatre gave him a look, then disappeared.

Duo frowned slightly, not understanding how Matty made it out the door in front of him. He blinked after the smaller male a moment, then gave up and pulled the door closed.

"He got all in a good mood after Jinli called," Matty noted, turning to walk backwards in front of him, then stop and pull the door open to the stairs. "I want to talk more," he added, moving through.

"I thought it was interesting that he was doing forms again."

"Jinli made some joke about when they were learning," Matty noted thoughtfully. "And he had to show me how the thing went for me to get it, then he flowed through a bunch and I tried copying him...after a while he stopped and showed me how he starts."

"He was getting really choppy before he gave it up...was it...good?"

"Really good," Matty gave him a smoldering look, then laughed and bounced down a few more stairs. "It seemed alright to me. Heero didn't...uh...didn't correct him."

"You're special," Duo informed him, looking around as well. "Where do you want to go?"

"Fast?" the guy returned easily.

Duo gave him a look.

"Rough?" his eyes flashed again.

"You know what," Duo retorted, moving in before they could start off the landing. As he spoke, he moved in so they were face to face, one hand resting against the wall to block the escape. Matty was staring up at him with very wide eyes. "I haven't gotten laid in like...eight or nine months," Duo said quietly, running a finger along Matty's lower lip. "And I really don't need you flirting with me."

Matty mouthed at him, obviously at a loss for words.

Duo chuckled slightly, leaning in and not quite touching his nose to the other's. "Understand me?"

"Don't," Matty protested, pulling back the centimeter he had for room and raising a hand to his face. "Don't do that."

"Then don't flirt with me," Duo retorted, and started down the stairs.

"You're the only one it's safe with," Matty protested.

"Or, you know, your _boyfriend_?"

"Oh, don't tell me you don't know what I mean," Matty retorted, still following. "If I flirt with him we end up in bed—which is fine and all, but sometimes it's just fun to _flirt_...and I can't with Trowa because...well..."

Duo glanced back to acknowledge the issue. Trowa was weird, and there wasn't much more to say on that matter.

"And Quatre's...different," he shrugged slightly. "Then there's you and Wufei—so you know..."

"You could flirt with _Ian_," Duo noted.

An embarrassed look crossed the younger's face. "Oh...and no I _can't_. It's _Ian_."

"That makes remarkably no sense," Duo noted.

"I could have sworn you were fluent in English," the guy retorted.

They grinned at each other.

"What doesn't make sense? Ian is Ian...he's..._Fian_...you don't flirt with _Fian_."

"From what I hear, you've _kissed_ him before, so don't even give me that..."

"I didn't mean to!" Matty protested, starting to laugh instantly.

"You didn't mean...to kiss...Ian," Duo thought about that a long moment, then looked back to the younger. "Are you sure those are the words you meant to use?"

Matty giggled briefly, then bounced forward in front of Duo again. "You're stupid. I want you to know that."

"But at least I have logic that people can follow," Duo retorted.

"Oh _sure_," the guy retorted...and bounced out of the door at the bottom of the stairs.

What a jackass—he _had_ to have the last word.

Duo grinned and bounced after.

"That was...quick," Sean muttered, blinking at him as the door to the bike room closed.

"I thought our conversation over," Duo returned, moving to lean against the desk and study the man. "And I decided that I had to concur."

"So you came all the way back down the stairs to say I'm hot?" Sean didn't believe it, and that was obvious.

"Oh, of course," Duo returned easily. "And on further contemplation I decided that I wanted more than one boyfriend."

The man guffawed, but more people were entering—and Matty from the door to the bike-room, giving him a confused look.

Duo grinned at the kid, then smiled at the doorman. "Later."

"Later," the guy agreed, starting to greet the others.

"What were you doing?" Matty asked blankly.

"Joking around," Duo shrugged, pulling the keys back out of his pocket. "Have you decided where you wanted to go?"

"I told you," Matty retorted happily, taking the helmet that Duo offered him. "Fast."

Duo snorted at that and pulled his own helmet on.

He got that sort of response _far_ too often.

- -

Matty gave Duo a confused look as he parked the bike against a tree, looking around. "Where are we?"

"The park," Duo returned, dropping his helmet onto the handles. "Come on."

"What are we doing here?" Matty protested, dropping his helmet onto the seat. "When I said I wanted a ride..."

Duo guffawed at that.

Matty grinned, moving to look at him again as they started walking.

"You'll see."

The younger hesitated as Duo moved confidently away, looking around. It seemed really remote, he'd thought it was remote when they'd taken the final road, and when Duo'd turned off onto a side-path, he'd started to really wonder. He trusted Duo's abilities. Heero'd said Duo could pull stunts with a passenger and the only thing to do was to hold on and hope....but this?

They moved up to a cave entrance, and Duo's attention was all around them, listening as he moved with a cat's grace over the light meadow. Matty's feet kept crunching on the branches and bushes—he felt clumsy with how absolutely silent Duo was.

"Wait here," Duo muttered, pressing him to one side of the entrance—behind a bush. "If anyone comes....hide better." He flashed him a grin, then darted inside.

Matty wondered for about twenty more seconds what the guy was about...but then it struck him.

They were in a remote location off all main paths, and the cave entrance was huge.

"Duo?" he whispered, darting after the guy, keeping to the wall.

"Stay back," Duo hissed, pressing Matty back with one arm...and he had a handgun in the other hand.

"What's wrong?" Matty whispered even quieter.

"Hopefully nothing," Duo returned, moving forward again. "I think you misunderstood my point in leaving you at the entrance."

"What?"

"If someone's back here, if someone has _found_ the machines, they aren't _that_ hard to turn on...things might seem pleasant in Happyville, but that sort of facade isn't that hard to create."

Matty frowned, looking around the darkened area as they moved further into the cave. When they reached the edge of an area that opened up further, and Duo stopped, listening intently.

Matty suppressed his urge to ask what.

"All right," Duo said normally after a moment, lowering the weapon. "It seems clear enough. By now Heero'd have swept the entire floor, but I'm not nearly as paranoid as he is."

Matty blinked at him.

"Come on," he added happily, moving openly forward.

"Wasn't that a little dramatic?" Matty asked, following slowly. He couldn't see beyond the light that was resting on Duo.

"Well, if someone was in here, I'd have had to deal with them, and it's easier to be surprised when you already have a gun in your hand."

Matty frowned, realizing that the weapon was _gone_.

"What?"

"I can't see you anyway, and where did the gun go?"

"The firearm is concealed," Duo returned in amusement. "I have a concealed weapons permit. Don't you?"

"Guns scare me," Matty returned, frowning up at him. "Even more now than before."

"Poor baby," Duo retorted...and reached for him. Matty squawked as the guy's hand slid into his back pocket, and before he could gather himself enough to hit the guy, Duo was grinning wickedly at him, showing him a flash-tab.

"Asshole!" Matty muttered, hitting him anyway. "Don't touch my ass."

"I'll grope you if I want to," Duo retorted, moving forward. "Just don't tell Quatre."

Matty guffawed.

"Avert," Duo ordered...and there was a snapping sound.

Matty had long enough to realize that Duo's head was twisted around before he caught a brief glimpse of something _very_ bright. The order Duo'd given snapped in his mind, and he whipped his head to the side as the tab fizzled into life.

"Can you even _see_?" Duo demanded dryly.

Matty blinked around, trying to focus past the spot in the center of his focus. "I will in a minute..."

Duo snorted. "Sorry, I forgot you're not trained to this...come on."

Matty looked around as his vision cleared, then darted forward to stay close to the other. He glanced up briefly, noticing that the tab was falling from very high. Duo was half-jogging across the room...and the light flickered.

"You should stop," Duo noted quietly, glancing over his shoulder. "It'll die in a second."

Matty started to refuse that, then stumbled on the uneven floor as the tab flickered again, faster. The light was considerably dimmer...and then gone.

Matty tripped, barely catching himself as there was a clatter behind. He turned his head blinking. He couldn't make out anything in the darkness, just the light of the cave entrance behind them.

"You all right?" Duo asked.

"Yeah, I didn't fall...just almost did."

"I told you to stop," Duo noted...and something clicked. There was a whirring sound that reminded Matty unpleasantly of the clinic on 27 when he and Jaden had been getting his bruise checked...but the sound was considerably quieter...before there was a click.

"Look down," Duo suggested.

Matty decided to close his eyes. That'd probably be the best bet later...as light bloomed around him.

"Or that," Duo noted in amusement. "Closing them works. You should be okay now."

Matty opened them slowly, focused on the floor. As he did it he realized it was silly. Duo'd only grabbed the one flash-tab, and with the other sounds, that hardly made sense...but then all other thoughts vanished.

Deathscythe.

He stared up at the machine in wonder and horror...the light wasn't all that bright, so the head of the thing was partially obscured...and he wasn't sure if that was preferable.

Duo moved to stand next to him wordlessly, looking up at the machine with his arms crossed.

"Why are you showing me this?" Matty asked quietly.

"Two reasons. One mundane, one personal. I need to finish the diagnostics—there were a couple earthquakes...where we had them stored before and he fell over...it. It fell over." He made a vaguely amused noise. "My machine doesn't need anymore artificial intelligence than it already has, and if I start giving it back it's personality..."

"Personality?"

Duo made a thoughtful sound in return, then shook his head and started forward. "For the personal...you're one of us, for better or worse. You may not know a thing about fighting, but I have a feeling that by the end, you'll have more a hand in it that you imagine."

Matty focused on Duo, really looking at him.

"I guess you wouldn't fully get it at that," Duo muttered, moving back and raising a hand to lift Matty's chin. "Heero...knows...when he's happy. As far as emotions go, he knows when he's happy, and how much that happiness is worth to him. You're part of him now, and that means you're part of us. He might start to frustrate you soon, or annoy you...but if you tell him what the matter is, he'll do what he can to fix it. He's a simple man, and we all do what we can to help him in anything—and with how we all act and interact, you seem to fit-in just fine." He stepped back again, considering the cave. "Things are going to get harder before they get better...and this..." he looked away, gesturing with one arm at his machine, "this is a part of me."

Matty focused back on the MS, looking back up to its head again.

"I'm going to have to fight," Duo noted, turning to look up at the machine again. "The others left it to me to fight...and I think you should know something about it before Wufei and I disappear and these things show up again. Come on," he added, moving toward the foot. "The towrope can hold both of us if you trust me to hold you one-armed."

Matty moved after him hesitantly, focusing on the very _large_ foot in front of him.

"I didn't mean to grope you earlier," Duo muttered as he extending and arm and reached for the towrope with the other. "I'm sorry about that."

"You didn't really," Matty reassured him, looking around a moment. "I just wasn't expecting you to dig in my pocket."

"I'd have been an ass if they weren't there," Duo noted happily. "You know what? I think we need to teach you self-defense. You're cute enough you might need it."

"If you call me cute again, I will _knee_ you in the balls."

"Ooh, kitty's got claws," Duo muttered...and they lifted from the ground.

The motion and the lack of support under their feet—the thing was moving fast—startled Matty out of his moment of offense. He clung to Duo, looking around wildly...and his eyes fell on the second machine.

It seemed strange to him that he could have missed the thing, but he hadn't really seen either one until Duo'd gotten the light on.

"Hold on," Duo suggested, shifting slightly. Matty clung with all his strength as the hold Duo'd had dropped. Something about holding himself up sent butterflies of panic swirling in his stomach, but then something clicked and a whirring sound started as Duo caught him again.

"Don't do that," he squeaked in protest.

"So what? You want me to use my feet to hit the button? That'd be an awkward position."

Matty squeaked again, unable to find words.

Duo laughed happily, then used one foot to guide them onto a platform—the door had opened. He let go and started to move, but Matty wasn't entirely sure he could _stand_ on his own.

"The hell are you doing?"

Duo and Matty both focused down on Heero, who was moving into the cave with Wufei.

"What _are_ you doing?" Heero asked skeptically.

"I'm showing him the inside," Duo returned easily as Matty sat quickly. The door wasn't all _that_ large, and there was a _whole_ lot of empty air below him...and looking down at Heero was giving him vertigo.

"You're aware he's scared of heights, aren't you?" Wufei asked skeptically.

"Ooh, shit," Duo looked down to Matty, blinking. "You didn't tell me."

"You okay?" Heero asked, moving to the leg of the machine. He climbed up the foot and jumped off the scaffolding around the thing—which was when Matty realized there was a ladder or stairs—then launched from that back toward the knee area.

"You're going to fall!" Matty squeaked at his boyfriend as the guy made his way up to the flat area of the scaffolding. "Heero..."

"I am not," Heero retorted, landing and looking around. I'm going up," he added, pointing at the shoulder. "You'll need to get inside so I can land."

Matty hesitated, then butt-scooted across the door to the opening of the cockpit. Duo was sitting casually in the chair, one leg over the edge...and the internal lighting and screens turned on.

"Why did you bring him here, anyway?" Wufei asked, landing at the edge of the door to look in.

"I thought we agreed that the less he knew, the safer he was," Heero agreed, dropping in front of the other.

Duo looked up at the pair of them and shrugged. "It occurred to me that it didn't matter what he knew, because anyone who grabs him is going to assume he knows anyway. We'll just have to keep him from being grabbed."

"You make that sound easy," Heero retorted, moving forward and pulling Matty onto his lap.

"Well, we either do it or we don't," Duo looked between them—and Matty realized that his right hand was flying across an odd keyboard...and now and again the machine would beep. He was looking at a small screen, but the screens that lined the walls were also showing information.

"That's going to take ten years," Heero noted almost irritably. "Move," he added, sliding into the cockpit more and shifting so he was still holding Matty. "I don't know what you think you're doing...but..." he knocked Duo's hand away and started typing himself.

"That doesn't _work_ on Deathscythe," Duo retorted, smacking Heero's hand away in turn. "You tried it before and it won't work any better now. I might trust you with a lot of shit, but you are _not_ going to reprogram my machine."

"I wasn't trying to..."

The pair degenerated into bickering.

"They're going to be at this until the scan is done," Wufei informed Matty from where he was hanging in the door. "You want to come look at Demigod?"

"I don't know what I'm looking at," Matty retorted.

Duo and Heero both looked at him, and a grin crossed Duo's face. He fished into his pocket, and he pulled out an Mp3 player. A moment later, he had the thing hooked up to the dashboard...and the screens flashed over to a music video.

Matty started giggling as the song started over the speakers.

"Amazingly good speakers, isn't it?" Duo noted happily. "Better display'n you'd think, too."

Matty sniggered, shifting around.

"Watch it," Duo suggested to Wufei, leaning forward...and pulling down a screen that had folded up from over the door.

"Nice," Wufei muttered, backing off. "You assholes have your party—I don't like any of y'all that much anyway."

"You're just jealous that you don't fit," Heero retorted.

Duo made an amused noise. "You could sit on my lap."

Heero started laughing, and Matty frowned as Wufei disappeared. "All right," he added, leaning forward to kiss Matty. "I'm here to help him and Duo really won't let me do anything in here...so you can hang out with him until you get bored, then maybe we can go find a corner to amuse each other in."

Duo kicked at Heero, who laughed and kissed Matty again, then ducked under the screen...and disappeared as well.

"Where are they _going_?" Matt demanded blankly.

"To Demigod?" Duo offered, then blinked. "Oh...up. I'll use the tow to go down, so they're using the ladder," he indicated off to his right. "They have to go up on the shoulder and jump across."

"I was almost going to say I'd go that way to get down," Matty muttered, making a face. "But that notion of jumping doesn't seem to settle with me."

Duo chuckled at that, then looked back to the screen, starting to sing.

Matty focused on the video...the ground sounded much firmer, but he wasn't up to climbing _or_ jumping...let alone using the towrope. He doubted he could actually hold his weight long enough to make it to the ground.

He'd just have to wait.

- -

"No...like this..."

Quatre rubbed his eyes, moving across the apartment tiredly. Trowa was sleeping on his bed, and Wufei was on his. Heero had been moving around in his room, but Quatre had no idea where either Matty or Duo were. He'd fallen asleep before Duo'd come back, so what was he doing _now_?

"Like this?" Matty asked hesitantly.

"Yeah," Duo agreed. "You want it to impact about here...with force."

"Oh..." Matty sounded thoughtful.

Quatre frowned up to where he could barely make out Duo's head in the workout area. The dim-light was on, which gave the guy a backlit look...then Matty moved.

Duo grunted.

"Ooh!" Matty sounded guilty. "Sorry..."

"No, that's the point of it," Duo retorted, stepping back...and glancing down. "Oh, hey, Love."

"Hey, Love?" Quatre echoed sarcastically, starting to climb the stairs. "What are you doing?"

"Teaching me self defense," Matty perked up, bouncing toward Quatre a few steps. "Or...karate...or something."

Duo grinned tolerantly to Quatre.

Quatre gave the kid a skeptical look.

"Like this!" Matty returned...and bounced across the area.

"Oh, don't!" Duo protested.

Quatre's reaction was instant. The moment the fist flew at him, he grabbed it and spun the boy, twisting his arm back.

"Ack!" there was pain in the choke, and Quatre let go before he could do actual damage. Matty stumbled a few steps away, turning to stare at Quatre with wide eyes.

"He was...trained different," Duo muttered belatedly. "He wasn't taught to think, he was taught to react."

"Ow," Matt returned, rubbing at his arm.

"Sorry," Quatre muttered, reaching for the arm and hesitating. He'd expected the guy to shy away—but then again, the arm Ranger'd abused had been his left, and he'd been throwing the punch with his right.

"It's okay," Matty reassured him. "I probably shouldn't have done that."

"I've tried to spar," Quatre noted with a grin. "But every time I do, I end up hurting them because the only way for them to block what I'm doing is to hurt me—and they won't do it, because they're all a bunch of bitches."

Matty giggled at that.

Duo moved...silkily...and swung at Quatre's face. Blocking that wasn't hard, but Duo could avoid being grabbed. Actually, Duo was good in a fight.

"Holy shit!" Matty gasped as Quatre launched a kick at Duo's head.

Duo bent sinuously backwards to avoid the thing, and as he was swinging up for it, he was also swinging around. Quatre moved to block the blow that would come there, and jerked back in shock as pain blossomed along his leg and his knee nearly gave out. The shock of the feint—he still couldn't tell where the blow had really come from—kept Quatre from regaining his equilibrium, and he fell hard to the matting on the floor.

"What the _hell_ are you doing?" Trowa demanded from below. "Do I need to come up there? Matt?"

"It's Duo and Quatre," Matt returned, moving around where Quatre was pinned and blinking up at Duo. "I don't know beyond that."

Duo grinned and shrugged down at Quatre. "If I get cocky, you all knock me down a peg. Fair's fair."

Quatre guffawed in response, sitting up to rub at his leg. "That really hurt..."

"I didn't think it'd _work_," Duo retorted.

"See," Quatre muttered irritably to Matty. "They always do that. If they think it'll hurt me, they back off."

"You..._did_ whine about it," Matty noted hesitantly.

Quatre met his eyes.

"I'm just saying," he shrugged quickly. "I don't mean anything."

"I won," Duo added, reaching down and yanking Quatre up from the floor. "That means I get a prize."

"You want a cupcake?" Matty demanded dryly. "Or a gold star?"

"Cupcakes sound good," Duo perked up at the suggestion.

"But no sprinkles," Trowa noted. "The sprinkles are just pointless."

Quatre and Matty exchanged a look.

"But come on, let me look at your leg," Duo added, swinging Quatre into his arms. "We're done for tonight," he added, kicking lightly at Matty's thigh...sideways and backwards.

Matty grinned at that, then bounced to follow.

Quatre wasn't entirely sure he appreciated being carried down the stairs, but he had to admit Matty focusing internally before punching at air was kind of cute...and then Duo set him on his feet, and the knee screamed at him.

"Damn it," Duo muttered, catching him up again. "Damit all...sit," he added, depositing Quatre on a stool. "Night, Matt."

"Night," Matty returned, bouncing through into the bedroom.

"You're not making cupcakes?" Trowa sounded disappointed at that.

"It's _three_ in the morning," Matty retorted. "_No_, I'm not making cupcakes. I'll do it tomorrow or something."

Quatre grinned as Duo pulled an ice pack from the freezer and disappeared into the bathroom.

He was surprised at how bad his knee _hurt_. He could tell there was no permanent damage, but it'd take a few days to settle down again.

That was just wonderful, he'd have to kick Duo's ass for it later.

Matty burst into startled laughter from the other set of apartments.

"You all suck," Wufei informed them in a voice that suggested he'd been woken up. "You know that, don't you?"

"Sorry," Duo apologized, scooping Quatre up again. "We'll go in the room now. I didn't mean to wake you up."

Wufei grumbled and turned away from them.

"I don't like it when you all sleep in the rooms," Trowa protested after them. "It's empty in here with the four of you back there."

"I want to look at his leg and stuff," Duo noted casually, hesitating in the door. "We'll come back out after that."

"I love how I'm consulted," Quatre noted to Trowa as Duo started away.

"You can't walk," Duo retorted, moving into the room they'd taken. "That means you don't get your way. I do. Haha...now," he deposited Quatre on the bed. "About what I was saying..."


	3. Chapter 3

**Three**

Wufei bounced across the apartment, realizing a bit belatedly that he probably looked like a fool. The thought made him hesitate, but then the fact that it was Friday burst in on that...and the note that it was only him and Matty in the house.

"Wow," Matty noted from where he was frosting a cupcake at the counter. "Come eat this, I want to see you bounce off the walls."

"They're done?" Wufei returned, bouncing across and taking the thing from him with a smile.

When Trowa had gotten home from work on Tuesday, he'd instantly gone into the kitchen poked through the microwave, oven, and the pantry. He hadn't bothered explaining himself and disappeared into the second apartment. When Matty had gotten back from running around, Trowa'd demanded...excitedly, of all things, if Matt was going to make cupcakes.

When the teen had shook the box of cake mix at him, he'd just about been overcome with excitement and asked if there was anything he could do—but Matty hadn't gotten around to making the cupcakes before they'd gone to bed. The same process had repeated on Wednesday, though it had ended with Trowa taking the cake mix out of the cupboard and setting it on the breakfast bar portion of the counter...which had made Matty laugh when he'd gotten home from work.

But no one expected him to bake after he'd had a full day's shift...well, no one but Trowa.

Wufei didn't understand how come Trowa hadn't made the things himself.

At any rate, Thursday had passed much the same way as Wednesday, though Trowa suggested the mix a few times in a row...and he'd actually pouted when he noticed the box was still on the counter.

"I'm putting sprinkles on the one I give Trowa," Matty informed Wufei happily.

"Why?" Wufei asked blankly. "What's the point? They're hard little lumps of sugar."

Matty laughed...he had the sprinkle canister in his hand...and tipped the thing over Wufei's cupcake.

"Hey!" Wufei protested, staring at the thing.

Matty laughed more and flicked the sprinkles onto the one he was frosting, setting it aside. "We have what? Five minutes before we can expect Trowa up here?"

"Give or take," Wufei agreed, using his nail to flick some of the sugar-crystals off.

"Those aren't hard lumps," Matty informed him almost dryly. "Take a bite with them on there."

Wufei huffed, then took a bite. It crunched slightly, and he frowned at the young man.

Matty stared at him in disbelief, then rolled his eyes and went back to frosting.

"Thank you?" Wufei offered, blinking at that. "I appreciate it?"

Matty gave him a severely level look.

"I'll make the next batch?"

"Just go finish getting ready," Matty muttered, gesturing him off.

"I don't mean to be..."

"Fian," Matty cut that off, meeting his eyes, "go make sure you're ready."

Wufei hesitated, then grinned at his friend...and bounced off toward the other side.

"Don't get crumbs on the carpet," the guy instructed dryly. "Quatre will have a fit."

Wufei grinned, and started for the hallway.

- -

Trowa moved tiredly into the apartment, tossing his jacket onto the back of the couch as he kicked his shoes off. Tim was in much the same way as he slid his own shoes off, then wandered over to the couch to drop his jacket.

"Here," Matty muttered.

Trowa turned to look at him with interest, then spotted the cupcake in the guy's hand...and stared at the sprinkles on it.

Matty laughed delightedly, moving around the counter as he put a thumb in his mouth...and gave one without sprinkles to Tim.

"Oh, thanks," Tim muttered, blinking at the thing.

"Trade?" Trowa asked hesitantly, offering his over.

"You got sprinkles?" Tim demanded...and yanked the thing from his hand as Matty laughed even more.

"I didn't think any of us liked sprinkles," Trowa muttered hesitantly to Matty.

Matty laughed more, moving back to wash his hands. "You don't. It was funny to see your expression though."

Trowa stared at him in amazement.

"The next time you beg after me for a week to bake," Matty added pointedly, "I'm going put sprinkles in the _batter_."

Tim started laughing.

Trowa mouthed at the guy.

"Anyway, Wufei's leaving in five or so minutes to get Jin..."

"Oh, shit," Trowa looked around to Tim. "I forgot about that."

"Huh?" Tim asked, sitting down and peeling more paper from his cupcake.

"Jinli, Wufei's childhood friend...he's coming."

Tim stopped entirely, looking up to Trowa. "Childhood? But...I thought..."

"Not everyone was on the colony," Matty whispered, glancing toward the door to the sleeping area. "Don't bring it up, please."

Tim nodded, focusing back on the cupcake. "I haven't had one of these in years," he added. "Not since my little sister was like...seventeen."

"You have a sister?" Trowa asked blankly.

Tim raised his eyes to stare at Trowa.

Matty laughed, moving to toss the frosting canister into the garbage.

He couldn't help but wonder if that'd be Trowa's response to _him_ mentioning his little sister—who he needed to call before she flipped out and had a girlie melt-down on him.

He pulled out his phone.

"What are you doing?" Trowa asked blankly.

"Calling my sister," Matty retorted dryly.

Trowa hesitated, looking between him and Tim a moment. Finally, he met Matty's eyes. "You have a sister?"

Tim started laughing.

"Oh, yeah," Trowa added, thinking. "Cute little Asian thing."

Matty narrowed his eyes at Trowa, glaring at him.

"And I'm going away," Trowa added happily...and darted from the room.

"What?" Tim asked blankly.

"He calls me a cute little Asian thing all the time," Matty returned, rolling his eyes. "He decided I have a kissing mouth, too."

Tim guffawed at that, sliding off the stool as he gave Matty a skeptical look. "I'll take his word for it, I think."

"You do that," Matty retorted.

Tim laughed happily.

"Hey, asshole," Lifon greeted him happily over the phone.

"Hey, Li," Matty returned, turning his back as Tim walked off. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to kick your father's ass," she returned.

"Watch your mouth and don't be a bitch."

She guffawed at that.

Matty grinned, and grabbed himself a cupcake.

- -

"Hey," Quatre muttered, sitting up to look at Wufei and Jinli as they entered the apartment. "How are you?"

"Not bad," Jinli returned easily, looking around. "You?"

"Can't complain—it's easier if you just take your shoes off now."

"Hi," Wufei muttered sarcastically, "how are you? Take your shoes off."

Quatre gave him a look.

Jinli grinned, sliding his shoes off. "My stuff will get here tomorrow," he added. "We talked to the guys downstairs and he said that..."

"Mr. Loniger wants to talk to you," Wufei finished, giving Quatre another look. "Evidently he's upset we're having so many people move in with us."

"We have two penthouses," Quatre protested blankly. "The mortgage is being paid from _my_ account...what's his big deal?"

"I couldn't tell you," Wufei returned, sliding his own shoes off. "I think it's stupid."

"And annoying," Jinli agreed, moving across the room as he looked around. His eyes moved up.

"A work-out area," Wufei noted. "Weights and things...and tatami. Me and Duo meditate, so there's an area over here," he indicated the separation. "Go ahead."

Quatre grinned at Wufei, wondering if the pair realized what they were doing. He'd never noticed them finishing each other's sentences, and if they were going to start it could get...special.

Though, really, it was special, wasn't it?

The door opened again and Duo waltzed into the apartment. "Allen just said Wufei came in with another tenant...I'm assuming he means Jinli, but what's up his ass?"

"Mr. Loniger probably bitched him out," Quatre returned. "Evidently we're having too many people move in."

"Two people more between two penthouses and it's too many?" Duo gave him a skeptical look, then moved forward to kiss him...and kiss him again.

"Holy shit, pull apart and breathe," Wufei muttered. "The two of you are special."

Duo grinned as he pulled back, then gestured toward the bathroom very slightly with his head.

"If I'm watching, subtle doesn't work," Wufei informed him pointedly.

"Was that subtle?" Jinli asked in confusion. "I didn't see any subtle."

Duo laughed, turning around to look up at the pair. "Hi, Jinli...how are you?"

"Pretty good...you?"

"Long day, but the house is almost done, so it'll be fine."

"House?" Jin asked blankly.

"I'm working as an apprentice for Panne Fabrication."

The man's jaw dropped.

Duo grinned at that and looked back to Quatre a moment.

Quatre grinned back and watched him disappear into the bathroom.

"But yeah," Wufei muttered, moving away from the railing. "There's enough room here for Heero and I both to go through our forms..."

Quatre slid quietly over the back of the couch, then across to the bathroom.

He was going to hear about it from Wufei and probably Jinli both later...but for now, there was something more interesting waiting for him.

- -

"You took a shower?" Matty blinked at Quatre in confusion. "Why did you take a shower?"

Quatre guffawed at him and walked away.

Matty turned to give Heero a confused look...as Duo moved from the bathroom.

"Ah," Heero muttered in amusement. "I see...did you enjoy yourself?"

Matty started laughing.

"I did very much, thank you," Duo purred back...and drifted after Quatre.

"Yeah, they were in there an hour," Wufei noted from where he was sitting on the couch. "I imagine the water went cold."

Jinli started laughing.

"Hey," Matty greeted the guy happily, bouncing across to him. "How was your flight?"

"Not bad...I picked the room in the corner," he added, indicating the entrance to the second apartment. "That's fine, isn't it?"

"I think Quatre claimed it for a whole of five minutes before he realized Duo didn't want it," Heero reassured him. "That's fine. Ours is the end," he indicated Matty.

"I told him," Wufei reassured them. "Where were you two?"

"Getting some more snacks," Matty returned—which was when Wufei realized Heero had a bag. Mainly realized it because Heero was setting it on the counter. "And some drinks, but we didn't want to carry those up yet. Ooh, I don't have to work tomorrow," he added, sliding onto the arm near Jinli. "We can go to lunch and stuff."

"None of us work tomorrow," Wufei reminded him easily. "We're not sure when his stuff is coming in, though."

"We can still go out to lunch," Matty retorted, turning away. "Anyway, I'm gonna start dinner."

"Good, I'm starving," Heero returned.

"You could cook, you know."

Wufei guffawed at that.

"Not really," Heero returned. "I can make simple things...but not real food. There's a reason Wufei's the one who cooks most of the time. The rest of us are helpless."

"Hapless," Wufei corrected, giving Jinli a look.

"Go call Lu," Heero retorted happily. "I'm gonna go pester Duo and...Jason."

They all looked at him.

"Did you tell him?" he added, indicating Jinli.

"Tell me what?" Jin asked. "Who's Jason?"

"Oh, shit," Wufei muttered, blinking. "That could have gone to hell, couldn't it?"

"What could have?"

"We totally only use our real names _in_ the apartments," he explained, then grinned slightly. "So I suppose for the next few days we'll start calling each other by our other names...that should help you get used to it."

"Did you have to do this?" Jin asked Matty blankly.

"I met them under the assumed names," Matty shrugged. "It took a couple days of them using their real names before I got it."

"I've got to go out to the cave tonight," Wufei noted, perking up slightly. "You want to come with?"

"And look pretty or something?" Matty retorted.

"I wouldn't say pretty," Heero reassured him, kissing him in passing. "I'd say hot."

Matty grinned at him.

"I just thought I'd offer," Wufei protested.

"Cave?" Jinli asked, looking back to Wufei. "What are you talking about?"

"Yeah," Matty muttered, running a hand through his hair. "Things are interesting around here...but I'll let you explain...I wanna pester Quatre, too."

Wufei watched the pair disappear, then sighed and looked back to Jinli.

- -

Jaden was looking around the busy airport uncertainly as he followed close on Rab's heels. The man had a hat on and sunglasses to keep himself from being too easily recognized, and Ranger had a handkerchief tied around his. Jaden hadn't wanted to put a hat on, but the pair had insisted. He was pretty sure that the pilots themselves could find them by build alone, but he hadn't wanted to make any more waves than he already had.

Qingfu only had sunglasses on, but as far as Jaden could remember, he hadn't been face to face with the pilots.

"Wow," Qingfu muttered, moving close to Jaden's side. "It's loud here."

Jaden nodded is agreement, but didn't hesitate. The last thing he wanted to do was get lost in the rush of people around them.

Flying from China had been a horribly long thing...made even longer by Ranger's sometimes instability. The man had gotten bored at one point, and had been messing with the sleeve of Jaden's shirt. That wasn't entirely new. When Ranger got bored he tended to try to pester people into entertaining him. Ignoring him was usually the best way to go about it, but it turned out to be not so hot an idea.

There was no bruise, but it was damn hard getting Ranger to let go once he had ahold of you.

Jaden shifted his arm.

To make it even worse, Qingfu just thought it was stupid to _try_ and kill the gundam pilots. He agreed that getting rid of them would be a help in the end, and he knew that the Williams boy was nothing in the overall scheme of things. That argument had dampened Ranger's spirits when it'd come up, but Rab had pointed out he'd already said as much and ranger had moved on.

He'd thought they'd had _out_ the conversation about that boy. He thought they'd agreed _not_ to hurt him or even _touch_ him. The fact that Ranger had brought it up again left a sour taste in Jaden's mouth.

He didn't think he could _trust_ the man.

Killing the gundam pilots was folly, yet here they were in L.A., here they were heading to the local safehouse. They'd headed to South America first, to the settlement Rab had arranged in the Amazon. They'd gone down there, gotten a full report on what resources there _were_...and then they'd arranged for a couple suits to be sent in stealth to L.A...and they'd boarded another plane.

Jaden looked to the sky as they exited the airport building.

This was not how he'd envisioned his first visit to earth. The house by the ocean had been wonderful, but the Amazon had been sweltering...and this?

He looked around at the hustle and flow of people, heard the noise of the cars moving around.

This was a lot like Cairo...it stunk, it was loud...and it wasn't pleasant.

Jaden ran a hand through his hair, receiving a dirty look from Rab for the trouble. He slid the hat back on quickly, looking around again.

If he could trust Ranger not to go off his rocker and kidnap that boy, he'd leave the men to the slaughter they were inviting. If he could trust Ranger not to abuse that kid out of spite, he'd leave them to their deaths and work on talking Qingfu out of the whole notion. He was pretty sure he could manage _that_...but he couldn't trust Ranger at all.

So, in the end, all there was to do was wait. When Ranger made his move, Jaden would make his own...and heaven, gods, hell, or whatever help Ranger and Rabid.


	4. Chapter 4

**Four**

"I think we can do this," Duo muttered, indicating a piece of the plan, "before the day is done. If we get focused on that we can get that bit done...and the roofers," he glanced up at the house—it was nearly done, they were mainly finishing off rooms now. "They should be done before closing today, too...which means tomorrow it'll just be us," he grinned slightly at his team. "Which means we'll be done by Wednesday."

They all laughed appreciatively at that.

"So start that going on, and I'm gonna go call Victor to get him to check things out."

"Right," they muttered.

There was a loud sound that shook the ground.

"MS," someone hissed, turning his head to look in the general direction the noise and vibrations had come from.

There was another sound, and the ground shook. Car alarms started going off, and just about everyone stopped.

"Hey, it's an MS!" one of the roofers called, moving higher. "Check that out! What the hell you think it's doing?"

"What _is_ it doing?" Duo demanded, his heart fluttering.

"It doesn't look like anything," one of the others called, also moving higher. A second set of steps joined the first, and all the men started running for the ladders to the roof.

"What is..."

"It's _firing?_" one of the old soldiers demanded. "What's it..."

"Oh shit!" most of them yelled as a loud sound of struck-building came to Duo's ears.

"Demolition?" someone suggested.

Of a sort.

"I'm gonna...go meet with Victor," Duo noted, running instantly and shedding his vest as he did. "You guys get down if it comes this way, all right? I don't want you falling off...and try to get some work done!"

His heart wasn't in the final order, but they were all too distracted as the sound of destruction came again. Dogs were barking, car sirens were wailing, and people were crying out.

Not a good time for a flashback.

His phone started vibrating.

"It's started," Wufei hissed. "I'm on my bike, where are you?"

"On my bike," Duo returned, cramming his helmet on his head and gunning the engine as he shoved the phone away.

He was five minutes from the cave—and hopefully, that wasn't five minutes too far away.

- -

Matty and Blake moved out of the hardware store, looking around with interest. There hadn't been an earthquake in years, so evacuating the store...

Matty froze entirely as he looked up at a machine that should _not_ be in LA, but one he'd also been expecting.

It wasn't Deathscythe, and it wasn't Demigod.

It took him a moment to realize something else.

Why were they outside Casto?

Ranger knew he worked at that specific store, and no one had known where Ranger was since Zechs drugged him on that colony.

Matty turned and ran for the covered area.

"Matt?" Blake called in confusion.

"The mobile suits are _here_," Matty hissed into his phone—he'd pulled it out as he ran. "They're right _here_, Heero..."

"_What?_" Heero demanded.

"The ground was shaking like an earthquake, so we evacuated the store, and they're _here_...Heero...it's on the other side of the parking lot."

"Oh, god..." there was no doubting the fear in Heero's voice. "God..._hide_."

Matty ducked down beside a pile of crates, gripping his phone tightly.

"Matt? What are you doing?" Blake demanded, moving up beside him. "My dad is going to be _pissed_. What do you think those machines are doing _this_ close without...calling...to warn...us..." he stared down at Matty, then glanced back to the machines.

"Who is that?" Heero asked, his tone tight.

"Blake. He came up to me."

There was a chatter of dismay and people started moving around, moving toward them...and the ground shook.

"_Fuck_..." it almost sounded like Heero was going to start crying—the stress in his voice was evident.

"What's going on?" Blake hissed, looking back, then around.

"Get down here," Matty whispered, yanking Blake down beside him. Most of the people were scattering toward the cars. "God...hide..."

"What the fuck are you doing!?" Heero shouted, though Matty could tell by the tone that he was not the one in question. "They're at Casto! Matty can _see_ them!"

"Whoa," Blake muttered, pulling away from Matty slightly to look at his phone. "What _is_ going on?"

"We don't want to be seen by those machines," Matty returned quietly, yanking the man back beside him as the machine stepped clear of the building. It stopped, though, and turned slightly as the second set of steps stopped. "Please go away..." Matty whispered, still clutching his phone. "Please..."

"If it focuses on you," Heero whispered, "if it focuses on you, through a flash-tab at its third-eye...you know what I mean? _Please_ tell me you have them..."

"I do," Matty agreed as Blake considered his face. "Third eye?"

"The camera's in the middle," Blake said quietly, indicating the spot above his nose and between his eyes. "When you get into astrology and...um...I think meditation, they call that the third eye. Give me one of those tabs."

Matty frowned at him and pulled one of the three he always carried from his pocket.

"Stay here, but if they do see you," Blake rose slightly, "go _inside_ the building. That's a standard Leo, so it probably doesn't have a heat sensor. I suggest you go toward the lights section anyway, though. That should keep your heat signature hidden. Are you going to tell me why they're looking for you?"

"I'm not supposed to talk about anything," Matty started.

"Tell him, if he's a friend," Heero protested. "Duo's coming...he's in his suit."

Matty closed his eyes.

"Matt?"

"You were talking about the news," Matty said quietly, opening his eyes to look at Blake. "You were noting that every time I'm gone there seems to be a new development in space. You're right."

Blake dropped down to crouch next to him again as the machine took another step forward.

"I was the earth citizen on that ship of hostages taken back in January...and I think one of those two suits," he indicated the thing that had stopped again. "I think one of them is the man who tortured me. They lost track of him," he added quietly, staring at the machine. "And there's a general sort of fear he might be after me. He knows I work here, he's been here before—and that's why I _have_ these," he indicated the flash-tab he'd given the other.

"That should be enough," Heero muttered. "What's happening?"

"Nothing," Matty returned quietly. "They both stopped."

"If I stay here they'll notice me," Blake muttered, starting to rise again. "I'll go out there."

"I don't know..." Matty started.

The man moved, and the MS turned and focused on him.

"Shit," Matty hissed, ducking back away.

"What?" Heero demanded.

"The machine noticed him move away from me."

Heero half growled and half whimpered.

Matty blinked, noticing something behind the buildings across the way from the store—he couldn't make out what it was, but the machine was closer.

"He said he was almost there," Heero whispered, "why isn't he..."

Blake moved forward, arms crossed. "What are you doing here?" he demanded. "Without store permission or the required permits you are not allowed to be _in_ the city limits. You need to leave."

The machine took a step toward them.

"Don't be annoying," Blake snapped, not moving a step. "You're in a big intimidating machine, and for this stunt you'll probably be arrested for life—or court martialed."

The machine took another step toward him.

"Hey," Blake shouted a little louder. "The chance that you're running through city streets without speakers on is so unlikely you're going to make me laugh."

A few of the older men moved out as well, all standing straight.

The machine took another step.

Matty noticed that what he was seeing coming up behind was a MS...a dark MS.

"Deathscythe," he whispered.

"It's there?"

"Nearly," Matty agreed.

"Both he and Wufei have locks on your phone," Heero said, sounding a little more sure of himself. "I'm almost there too...sort of. _Fuck_."

"What?" Matty protested.

"Traffic...shit...I need a damn bike, too...this is...hold on."

Matty could _hear_ tires squealing through the phone. He looked around a moment, then up...and stared in horror.

He'd seen Deathscythe and Demigod enough that he knew they were machines—but it looked like this Leo was looking _right_ at him.

Blake's head swiveled around until he saw Matty, then raised his hands. "_Avert!_" he shouted.

Matty turned his head away as he pushed himself to his feet, closing his eyes as he heard the sound of the material of the flash-tab igniting.

Some of the people in the crowd cried out, but Matty didn't allow himself the moment of startled confusion he wanted...and then even more people cried out as there was another slamming on the ground.

There was a stunned moment...before people started shouting...and ran.

Deathscythe landed between rows of cars.

"Holy _shit!_" Blake shouted in disbelief, then turned and _ran_ at Matty. Terror was clearly written across his face as he started to jump for the other, but Matty moved enough to catch the man, not get knocked away.

"It's a gundam!" the guy shouted, trying to yank Matty after. "They're supposed to be destroyed...we have to get away from here!"

Matty shook the man off, looking around until he noted Deathscythe focus on him, then took a step back. There was something...cold...in knowing it was Duo in that machine...and then the ground shook again as Demigod landed, and people _really_ started to scream. They started running for the store, buffeting Matt left and right, but he stood his ground, staring up at the second machine.

"What the hell is going on?" Blake whispered fiercely, clinging to Matty's shoulder.

"They're here," Matty said quietly to Heero, looking over to the Leo. The thing hadn't moved, still watching Matty...but there was no way it couldn't tell something was happening. It should have felt the vibrations of them landing.

"Why is it just standing there?" Blake hissed, looking to the Leo as well.

"We probably should...move," Matty noted, looking around—he could hear a noise, like trucks. If it was the rebels coming, they'd been in a severe layer of hell, and he would jump _onto_ one of those suits. He was _not_ getting taken by the enemy again, not _with_ Duo and Wufei _right_ there.

"Why isn't it doing something?" Blake demanded, staring at the un-moving Leo in alarm as Deathscythe pulled out its beam-scythe...Demigod already had the whip in hand.

Matty yanked Blake hard so they could move to the side of the entrance. He wanted to see what was going to happen, but not stand in the open to do it.

The Leo finally turned...and the hatch started to open.

Matty grinned wickedly.

"What?" Blake demanded.

"Deathscythe has a cloak that hides it from electronic feeds," Matty whispered back. If the speakers were on—Duo'd had them on Deathscythe one evening when they were all in the cave, and he'd heard Matty talking in a normal voice. "If they're just relying on the cameras of their suits, they can't see either of those two."

"You _know_ that?" Blake hissed back, staring at him.

"My boyfriend is Heero Yuy," Matty whispered, looking around to be sure they weren't heard. "Yes, I _know_ that."

"The Brigadier General?" Blake hissed, staring at him. "_Max?_"

"The term 'perfect' is subject to interpretation."

The man guffawed.

"I use the term loosely," Matty added with a wicked grin, but then one of the suits moved...and Deathscythe swung. Demigod launched forward with a loud sound of its boosters, and the second Leo met it over the cars.

"Fuck!" Blake shouted, ducking down and pulling Matty with him. "We're too close!"

"Don't go anywhere," Heero snapped.

Blake stared down at the phone. "You put it on speaker?"

Matty snickered. "No, no I didn't."

The fact that he could laugh confused him to no end as the ground shook and people in the store screamed. By and large, he noted that the other civilians had moved to the far end of the building—and the fact that he thought of them as civilians struck him as odd.

"I asked you where you were," Heero added irritably. "The military is here...if they come grab you don't panic."

"Don't panic?" Matty snapped back. "I'm not leaving this place with anyone I haven't met before."

"They may not give you a _choice_, Matty," Heero snapped.

There was a loud grinding sound...and Matty's blood turned to ice.

"**_Shit!_**" Ranger's voice echoed around the parking lot as the Leo fell.

Matty turned and _ran_. They'd been at the back of the store, near the entrance the employees used or the stock was offloaded from transport. As the machine landed near the area they'd been standing, he and Blake were shoving through the doors that led to the main of the store. Through the large windows on that side of the building, he could see Demigod moving back and forth with the other machine, but he wasn't far enough away from _Ranger_.

God, Ranger was _outside_.

They broke through the entry doors as Matty realized Blake was trying to pull him back...but they both froze very still when soldiers with firearms lowered those weapons to point at them.

"Don't move!" someone shouted. "Get on the ground!"

"That's _him!_" someone else shouted.

The movement at the words sent Matty into another panic. He turned, pulling a flash-tab from his pocket, and started to head away...

"Wait!" Quatre shouted, jumping forward and grabbing his hands. "Matt, wait!"

"Jason!" Matty cried, relief warring with his terror.

"Stand!" Quatre ordered the soldiers in a voice that could make a pack of wolves freeze. "_Stand!_"

They stopped moving as Blake stood uncertainly, looking around.

"It's okay," Quatre hissed quickly, focusing back on Matty and taking the tab out of his hands. "They're with me...you're all right."

"It's _Ranger_," Matty returned, staring into Quatre's familiar blue eyes. "It's Ranger..."

Quatre froze, then looked around to the soldiers. "Secure the civilians!"

Matty's knees gave out as the soldiers began rushing into the building. Their shouts didn't seem very comforting to him, but then again, they were armed soldiers.

A car slid into the parking lot—Heero's car.

"You need to go with him," Quatre ordered, yanking Matty to his feet and giving him back the tab. "You need to get away from here. There's no questioning why the suits landed _here_."

Heero was there before anything more could process, pulling Matty to him in a fierce hug. "I was so scared," he whispered in Matty's ear. "I was so..."

Matty wondered at the past tense when the ground was still shaking from the fighting suits around the corner of the building.

"Let's go," Heero whispered, looking around to Blake. "Tell no one what you know," he ordered quietly. "You'll be compensated; your courage and bravery do you justice."

That sounded almost strange to Matty, but as Heero hustled him into the car, he caught a glimpse of Blake's face. The stunned expression the man'd had was slowly turning to pride. There was pride in his eyes, at any rate, and his back had straightened a little.

"Come with me," Quatre ordered Blake, turning to move into the store.

Blake looked back at Matty and smiled slightly, then followed after Quatre obediently.

Matty closed his eyes as Heero fussed with the seatbelt, then curled down into his seat as the man darted around to the other side of the car.

He didn't know where they were going, but it didn't really matter. He was _with_ Heero, and that was all he really needed.

- -

Tim sat against a cave wall on a rock, staring distantly across the small meadow. He could hear the clanging sound of metal against metal...and the ocean. He didn't really hear Trowa, though, which was confusing to him. Trowa wasn't even a hundred yards away, and he couldn't hear him.

He raised his eyes to Trowa again, his stomach churning.

The man had a really _big_ gun.

As he watched, Trowa planted himself with the...was it a rocket launcher? Tim's family had been pacifists, so he'd never learned the different guns...and a car appeared.

He jumped to his feet, very aware that Trowa'd told him to go _into_ the cave if anything started happening...but that was Heero's car, wasn't it?

The car didn't alter its angle at all, and Trowa didn't move, the gun still raised...as Heero drove past Tim into the cave.

Was it _big_ enough for the car?

Well, from what he'd gathered from Trowa, it had two mobile suits in it...so what was one more car on top of that?

Trowa hadn't moved, and after a moment, the sounds from the city seemed to get louder and more frequent. There was another loud sound like the one that'd happened before...and then something else entirely.

Trowa hissed.

"What?" Tim demanded in alarm.

"That's not Duo, and I doubt it's Wufei," he noted, glancing back. "Yuy?"

"I wasn't followed," Heero returned, still inside the cave as a second car door shut.

Trowa nodded, then turned and jogged back to Tim. He set the gun down at the cave entrance, and gestured for Tim to follow him.

"Not that I'm really questioning your right," Heero noted as they moved into the open area, "but what is _he_ doing here?"

"I had a shadow when I ran from the office," Trowa returned dryly. "He wouldn't have let me go, so I pulled him in with me and took off."

"Oh, he kidnapped you?" Heero grinned at Tim happily. "And here I thought Matty was kinky...that's something else, Tro."

"You shoulda felt him kick," Trowa returned with a grin...but the expression didn't last as he moved forward and touched Matty's face. "Hey...are you okay?"

"If you think I'm not stressed out enough," Heero snapped, "at Ranger going _after_ him, you're wrong."

"I'm not doing anything!" Trowa protested, though he did throw his arms up in a surrendering gesture. His voice was almost a whine, as if he'd had this argument out a few times and kept losing...and his manner...

Tim blinked.

Heero snapped something at him in what seemed to be Spanish, and Trowa looked away completely, moving back another step.

"If I didn't know any better," Tim muttered, moving closer, "I'd say the two of you were fighting over the same guy."

Heero's eyes flashed.

"Calm down," Trowa said quickly, moving forward again. "He doesn't mean anything by it...he...he hasn't seen it yet."

Heero looked back to him.

Matty moved to cling better to Heero, and Trowa backed off, looking around.

"What the hell is going on?" Tim demanded, looking between the pair of them.

"When we were on the colony last time," Trowa started.

"He's been _touching_ Matty," Heero started at the same time.

"What?" Tim asked in disbelief. He was having a hard time following either of their statements...not to mention he'd heard enough about Trowa's reactions to Matty that he didn't _want_ to hear more. He'd meant what was going on in the city. "That's..." he started.

The problem was that it came in as Trowa hesitated for response, and cut Heero off. It also sounded like he was agreeing with Trowa. Heero instantly started to argue, and Trowa started to return to that.

Timothy stared between the males, not sure how to stop them.

Matty was wiping his eyes as he pulled away from Heero, smiling almost shyly at Tim. "The guy who tortured me on 27 disappeared when they went and got the prince," he explained, wiping at his eyes again. "He just showed up in a Leo outside Casto."

Tim closed his eyes as the other males fell silent.

"_The fuckers ran_," Duo's voice came over a speaker near the wall. "_They went over the fucking store and launched_."

"_Thank god it's brick_," Wufei agreed, his voice tight. "_My cloak is starting to heat up_," he added. "_Be out of the way_."

Tim stared blankly at the speaker, realizing he could hear something approaching.

"Get him," Heero snapped.

Tim blinked as Trowa neared him, then nearly stumbled as something landed at the cave entrance. He was yanked quickly and unceremoniously toward that one speaker—as the light from outside dimmed and the ground started to shake. A moment later, the ground started shaking even more.

"You're shaking like a leaf," Trowa muttered in a quiet voice.

Tim turned to see him grabbing one of Matty's hands. But that couldn't hold his attention, even when Heero made an irritated noise...because the huge machine that stepped into the area was far larger than life.

Heero started bickering with Trowa again...as the second machine moved into the cave as well. Watching them line the things up and step back into scaffolding was...surreal. The heat that had enveloped the entire cave on the entrance of the machines hardly fazed Timothy at all...but his ears almost seemed to ring. When the hatch on the _gundam_ lowered forward, Tim realized he couldn't tear his eyes away from the thing, even when hearing noises from the other machine.

That was a gundam.

A huge gust of hot air blew from the engines, which made Tim squint slightly...and Heero and Trowa started bitching at Duo.

"Sorry!" Duo called, bouncing out of the cockpit. "I forgot you were right there!"

"Whatever!" Heero protested.

"You two are _bickering_," Duo returned. "I wanted to make you stop...leave me alone," he moved back into the machine.

"Duo?" Matty called, moving forward—there were tears in his voice. "_Duo?_"

Duo reappeared, his expression concerned.

"Are you okay?" Matty demanded, moving forward.

"I'm fine," Duo muttered, hesitating, then gestured to Heero and Trowa and disappeared.

"Tim?" Trowa asked.

Tim stared up at the machine, trying to make his mind process something—anything, really.

"Tim?" Trowa repeated, moving up to his side. "Come on...we need to move away from here so he can vent it."

"That's a gundam," Tim whispered back, moving his eyes back to Trowa's. "It's...they _destroyed_ the gundams...**_you_** destroyed the gundams...but that's..."

Trowa tugged him along after, and he noted vaguely that Matty was climbing a ladder with Heero behind him.

"Come on," Trowa insisted, pushing him to the thing. "We can stop at the top."

Tim managed to yank his focus away from the machine as he started climbing, and it was all he could do not to stop halfway up.

"Is he okay?" Matty asked, wiping at his face again.

There was a huge gust of air below them...and after a moment, heat rose through the cave—as the second machine hissed in the same fashion.

"Tim?" Heero asked.

"Sorry," Tim muttered, focusing around on the group of them. "I just...I thought you destroyed them," he appealed the question to Trowa.

"We wanted everyone to think that," Trowa said quietly.

"Why didn't you _tell_ him?" Wufei demanded, moving out of the other machine. "I made sure Jin knew."

"Where _is_ Jin?" Matty asked. "Are you okay? Fian? Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Wufei reassured him. "We didn't really fight...not much. We were trying to avoid the cars in the lot and keep them to the same."

Matty nodded.

Tim focused down on the distant ground, then looked around. "Why is it so hot in here?"

"Two really _large_ engines that were just heated up needed cooled down," Trowa noted almost skeptically. "It's like a computer—when it reaches a certain point it just has to..."

Tim punched him in the arm.

Trowa grinned at him, then looked back around to Matty. He looked like he'd speak again, but glanced at Heero and evidently thought better of it, looking around to Wufei. "How'd it do?"

"Handled well enough...better than I expected either a Leo or a Aries to," Wufei shrugged, moving back inside the machine. "We need to go move that rock."

"Where _is_ Jin?" Matty called. "You didn't say."

"As far as I know," Wufei noted, looking over at them, "he's still at the apartment." He stopped, his back to them a moment, then turned to face them properly. "I think you need to quit," he added. "Ranger was there _for_ you. You know he was."

Matty looked away.

"You and Quatre can hang out?" Duo asked, moving from his machine again as another vent of hot air puffed at them. "Until he loses his mind with boredom?"

"I need to call my dad," Matty returned noncommittally, rising to his feet.

"Not from here," Heero muttered, grabbing him around the leg. "We'll head back to the apartment as soon as Quatre gives us the all-clear."

"Where _is_ Quatre?" Matty demanded, alarmed. "He was at the store!"

"He's dealing with the...social...aspect of it all," Heero explained. "He gets to explain to the military higher ups why he came in throwing his rank around without forewarning them it would be called on...and he gets to explain why the machines attacked the hardware store. He won't be home until tonight, I think, but he should call soon."

"Oh," Matty muttered, blinking. "I get it...I guess."

Heero ran his hand along the younger's arm, then leaned over and kissed his temple. "Just relax a minute, huh? Tell me about Blake."

"Who?" Trowa asked sharply.

"I'm cheating on you with another man," Matty returned dryly, giving Trowa a look. "Sorry to break it to you like this, but I can't keep the secret anymore. He's the guy I've been training _all **week**_ for carpeting."

Tim snickered.

Trowa gave him a look, then glared accusingly at Heero.

"_I'm_ not the one making an ass out of myself," Heero informed him nonchalantly.

Trowa glowered at him a moment longer, then looked around to Timothy.

"Heads up," Duo muttered, moving from the shoulder of the machine...and jumping to the walkway.

Timothy stared at him.

"What?" Duo asked, moving closer to study him. "You look a little pale. You alright, buddy?"

Tim nodded at him.

"I forgot his family was pacifists," Trowa admitted, looking around to Duo. "When we first got here, I pulled out the launcher and secured the premise."

"Smooth," Duo complimented him, then looked to Tim. "You gonna be alright?"

"I just...have to adjust...I mean...a machine that was destroyed...that I _saw_ destroyed on tv...is sitting not ten feet from me." He avoided looking at it.

"We figured that some day they might need them again," Duo shrugged. "So instead of having them make new and worse ones, we just kept what we had."

"And destroyed it on tv."

"Actually, it was a desktop computer first...but whatever."

Tim closed his eyes.

"_Tcch_, Duo," Heero smacked his leg. "I'm sorry we didn't warn you," he added quietly. "But _we_, at least," he indicated Duo, "thought Trowa would have."

Trowa opened his mouth to retort to that, but Matty turned and threw himself into Heero's arms.

It was sort of cute, as far as Tim was concerned, because the moment Matty did it, Heero forgot the rest of the world existed.


	5. Chapter 5

**Five**

"We are _not_ going after that boy!" Rab shouted at Ranger. "What were you _doing?_"

"I wasn't doing anything!" Ranger shouted back. "He was just _there!_"

"Oh, it was just _chance_ that you started moving at him?" Rab moved closer to the man. "I _told_ you we aren't touching him!"

"I didn't touch him!" Ranger protested.

Jaden moved away from the pair running his hands through his hair.

He'd known it was a bad idea for the pair to go to the hardware store that the kid worked at. It was a definite way to _get_ the pilots attention, sure, but Ranger wasn't all there at the best of times.

"I told you he's still obsessed with that kid," he snapped, running his hands through his hair more. "I _told_ you."

"I am _not_ obsessed!" Ranger snapped back angrily. "And what about _you? **You've**_ been talking about him when I wasn't even thinking about it!"

"Oh, no?" Jaden demanded, rounding on him. "You didn't just offer up his store as a destination? You didn't mention scaring him would make the pilots come running? I'm _telling_ you, Marsh," Jaden turned back to his friend. "This is a _bad_ idea...they're going to kill you. They _have_ a gundam!"

"And whatever that other one was," Marsh agreed.

"The Leo?" Jaden demanded.

"It had the body," Rab retorted, "but not the head...and what the hell kind of weapon..."

Jaden didn't really believe that. He let Rab go off into speculation with Ranger, looking around again. He knew that Rab would never see his point of view on Ranger. Ranger was his golden boy, his special fucking friend. The two would be lovers if one was a chick.

He grumbled irritably to himself.

"Don't _you_ start," Rab protested, looking back to him in concern. "It's just a slight change of plans...most plans change as soon as you step onto the battlefield anyway."

"You were just complaining about him going after the boy," Jaden snapped, gesturing at Ranger. He was keeping his tone level, because if he let himself, he'd probably fly off the handle and piss Rab off on top of Ranger.

Ranger made an amused noise.

Rab and Jaden focused on him sharply.

"Calm down," Ranger muttered, gesturing placatingly at him.

"I'm going to the aquarium," he snapped, turning away. Qingfu had found the place and after a day or two of going, the people had allowed him to pay the difference of the two days for a month-pass. He'd bought Jaden one as well.

"Come on, J," Ranger started.

"Don't...just...don't," Jaden gestured the man away as he headed for the door. "Don't you two need to check for damages on your machines?"

The pair glanced at each other, and Jaden started for the bus stop. It didn't take him long to get to the aquarium. He sighed as he moved through the people, not able to help watching the water creatures.

He'd intended to go to the whale tank to find Qingfu, but he couldn't help turning into another area.

It was quieter there, and the color of the light through the water was soothing. He sighed as he moved up the way and sat on an empty bench. The tank had several large jellyfish in it, and there was something relaxing in watching them. He had to force himself to it, but finally he managed to let his stress melt away.

"Hey," Qingfu muttered, startled as he moved toward Jaden. "I didn't know you were here."

"Your friends," Jaden said through gritted teeth, "are special."

"What happened?" Qingfu asked quietly, moving to sit next to him and look at the jellyfish. "How'd it go?"

"Oh, an old god was resurrected, the sacrifice got away, and the great heroes had to _run_."

Qingfu snorted. "I'm almost sure, if you give me a week, I can figure that one out."

"We have the time," Jaden retorted, gesturing at the children in front of them.

Qingfu looked to the children himself, then met Jaden's eyes.

"I can't do this," Jaden said in a low voice. "I can't just sit here and wait for them to make a move that they'll realize is a mistake...we have to _do_ something."

"Like what?" Qingfu asked quietly. "You can't tell me they don't have the rudiments of a good plan going on."

"Yes, I can," Jaden met his eyes, studying his face. "This entire endeavor has been one misstep after another. From the very start they've been going at it the wrong way."

The man frowned at him, starting to shake his head.

"There are _routes_ you can take," Jaden hissed, "in a legal standing...there are _things_ you can do...that will get you to your end..._without_..." he wanted to say something about hostages or mobile suits, but they weren't in a place where they could speak freely. "You _can't_ tell me you think they're doing the right thing," he met Qingfu's eyes. "Please...tell me you're not so..."

Qingfu looked away, studying the children.

"You were agreeing with me before," Jaden added quietly, studying the jellyfish in the tank. "You were thinking about what I had to say before."

"Don't pull me into this argument," Qingfu returned quietly. "Let's just go watch the whale show."

"I need you to either agree or disagree with me," Jaden returned. "And I need to know soon."

"And what if I disagree?" Qingfu retorted. "What do you do then?"

"What I should have done in the first place," Jaden retorted, thinking back to the kid jumping between he and Yuy. He'd _hit_ the kid, and the guy had still stood up for him.

Qingfu sighed heavily, rising to his feet. "Come on," he muttered. "Let's go watch the whale show."

Jaden rose to his feet as well, still watching the jellyfish.

His time was running out—he needed to make his move...with or without Qingfu.

- -

Anxiety had built up in Matty's stomach since he'd called Casto. The idea of what he was actually doing was new and shocking to him. He'd never had a job before this, so he'd never had to quit one.

He moved through the store, smiling at people as he went.

"Matt!" Blake slid up beside him, excitement clearly written on his face. "Are you okay? What happened after you left? Did the Brigadier...heh...nevermind. My dad said the guy with the dark hair was _Winner_...did you _know_ that?"

Matty gave him a sidelong look.

"Holy shit..." he looked around excitedly. "Are you checking in? We should...you should get lunch with me. There's this place like...five minutes away. It has really good chicken stuff...you like chicken, don't you?"

"I'm quitting," Matty said quietly, looking around himself. "I'll do lunch with you, but I'm quitting."

Blake stopped, staring at him.

"I know, I'm sorry," Matty muttered, turning to look at him. "But the situation..."

"I understand," Blake muttered, moving to catch up again. "But I switched to carpeting so you could train me."

"I said I'm sorry," Matty protested. "It'd be fine if..." he glanced toward the back of the building.

"I get it," Blake sighed heavily. "Come on, don't quit..."

"It's not that simple," Matty protested. "None of them work over here, and Ranger was out there," he pointed to the corner of the building the suits had been fighting. "He knows I work here...and he's in the area," he glanced out the window again. Quatre was waiting in his car in front of the store.

"I guess," Blake muttered. "Maybe you should...give it a little more time to think?"

Matty grinned at that and rested a hand on the man's shoulder.

"Matt," Pamela greeted him, looking startled. "You're early."

Matty smiled at her, then moved through the door to the office area instead of stopping to sign in.

"Uh..." the woman started.

"Yeah," Blake muttered, moving to the window. "In a perfect world..."

Matty ignored that, moving into the office of Tremier Posen, the store manager. The man had asked him to come into the office before his shift started—probably to discuss what had happened, but Matty had decided to just do the deed.

"Mattox," the man muttered, rising quickly to his feet and looking around behind Matty. "Come in, have a seat." He moved to the door and looked around a moment before closing it. "I'm glad to see you're safe."

Matty shook his hand, not sitting. "I...I have some good friends," Matty returned quietly, tucking his hands into his pockets as he looked to the desk.

"The reason I called you in..." the man started.

"I thought I'd tell you..." Matty said at the same time, then blinked up at the man.

"I think, with the current situation in mind," the man muttered, "that maybe Casto isn't the place for you."

Matty stared at him.

"I'm not angry," the man said quickly, "I'm not...the damage, the very _little_ damage that happened in the lot is being covered by the ESA. There's no hard feelings—but the fact remains that..."

"I came in to quit," Matty noted.

It was the man's turn to stop.

Matty studied his face a long moment. "The current situation is dangerous. I'm not nearly as secure as we'd thought I was before...so it's safer for me, and for the whole store, really, if I left. I'm not intending to endanger my coworkers, and I fully intend to let people know that I'm quitting so the suits don't come back again."

They stared at each other.

"I value my experience here highly," Matty added. "I'm glad that I managed to become a reliable member of the staff—but as a reliable member, I feel that my remaining a worker here is a bad idea...for myself, my coworkers, and the customers. I knew the damage would be covered by the ESA," he added, smiling slightly. "And I was hoping the damage wouldn't be bad."

"Well, that makes things less stressful for both of us, doesn't it?" the man smiled and offered his hand. "I'm proud of you. When you first started working here you were a boy...but I think you've turned into a man. You have a bright future ahead of you, and I can't wait to see how far you go."

Matty nodded his head in acceptance of that, shaking with the man, then looked around. "I guess...I'll go clean out my locker. You don't mind if Blake tags along with me, do you?"

"That's fine," the man returned.

He considered options a moment before nodding his head. He grinned slightly at the man, then turned and left the office.

"Mattox!" Rick muttered, darting up quickly. He'd obviously been in a hurry, and when he saw Matty, he joined him. "I'm _so_ sorry," he added. "I told him that it was a rash decision but..."

"I quit," Matty returned, giving him a confused look. "It's not safe for me to keep working here—so I need to quit." He hoped that reassured the man. The people who'd dealt with the "social side" of the supposed prisoners of war had made a very neat point of letting Rick know that firing Matty for his involvement could lead to very complicated legal entanglements.

The man blinked at him. "Just like that?"

"Rick," Matty said, turning to him and keeping his voice quiet. "Two mobile suits came here yesterday because I worked here."

"There were...four," the man returned, blinking.

"They didn't come because I worked here," not entirely anyway. "They came because the other suits." He ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry I didn't get to talk to you first, but I feel like this needed done."

"Oh," Rick muttered, looking around briefly. "I guess...but, I will hire you back," he decided, meeting Matty's eyes. "When stuff finally settles down for you—if I'm here and able, I'll hire you back...if you need a job."

Matty smiled, shaking the man's hand. "Thank you, I appreciate that."

"I'll give you a reference, too," the man added. "So...you know, if you need anything at all."

Matty nodded, shaking his hand again. "I need to go clean my locker out," he added, starting for the back area.

"You quit?" Pamela asked, studying him. "Why did you quit?"

"Because my life got really complicated," Matty noted as Blake moved to follow him—evidently the guy had sat at the counter and chatted with the woman. "And keeping a job in that circumstance doesn't usually end up with a reference," he smiled at Rick again.

The man grinned at him, then turned and walked away.

"Yeah," Blake muttered, following after Matty when he started off again. "So you were serious about lunch?"

"Yeah," Matty agreed. "As long as you don't mind Jason coming with us."

'Winner?' the man mouthed, his eyes lighting up. "That's fine. My dad was telling me...saying....I guess he..." he licked his lips as he thought. "I guess I won't talk about it here, but maybe we can hang out? I have like, a million questions for you."

"I feel loved," Matty noted.

"Better not tell your boyfriend," Blake noted dryly. "I'm pretty sure he could kick my ass from here to Calcutta."

"Calcutta?" Matty demanded, giving him a blank look. "Where the hell did _that_ come from? It's like Max and his seducing you eight ways from Sunday."

Blake guffawed.

"Sometimes I want to ask him if he could seduce me _one_ way from _Monday_, but then...he'd probably _do_ it."

- -

Quatre ran a hand through his hair, studying his reflection in the vanity mirror of his visor. He could see some roots. Not many, but any at all meant it was time to start thinking if he'd _keep_ the black or not. Going from blond to black had been a sudden change, and in retrospect he probably should have tried red. You could dye red to brown, then brown to black. Hell, at that point, you could bleach to white.

Actually, he _could_ bleach to white. After doing that, he could use some restoration creams until it wasn't so brittle, and zap it to a different color.

He was wondering vaguely if blue would suit him when Matty came from the building with Blake Kiardane. He had a bag in his hands and was talking amiably with the other male.

Quatre smiled when the guy looked at him, rolling down the window. "Hey, Kiardane."

"Hey...Wire," the guy returned with a grin. "What are you doing here?"

"Pretending to be pretty," Quatre returned, popping the trunk.

"Pretty is not a word I'd use to describe _you_, Wire."

"I take it your dad told you?" Quatre demanded. "The colonel should know better than that."

"With how you were ordering everyone around yesterday?" the man gave him a skeptical look. "I figured most of it out because _he_," he indicated Matty, "was talking about Max."

"Wow, you suck," Quatre noted, looking around to Matty with interest.

"And nibble, if you want," Matty retorted, sliding into the car.

Blake sniggered. "If your boyfriend wasn't like...ten times bigger'n me, I'd totally try and make arrangements."

Quatre stared at him in disbelief.

"You wish," Matty retorted easily, buckling his seatbelt. "We have a couple things we have to go take care of," he added. "So I'll try to get here by one. Don't wait too long for me. Considering traffic and stuff, it may just have to wait until after work. But then you could just come hang out at the house."

"I'm in a meeting from one to two," Quatre noted, studying Matty. "Didn't I tell you that?"

Matty blinked at him.

"Damn," Blake muttered, looking around. "So I guess not today?"

"Yeah, no," Quatre agreed, then looked around to Matty.

The younger blinked a few times, then shrugged slightly. "So...give me your cell..." he started.

When Blake offered it, Quatre grabbed it, flipping into the contacts and starting to type as Blake blinked at him.

"Or...hand him...your cell," Matty muttered, not quite sure if he was amused.

Quatre flashed him a grin, then passed the thing back over. "I added me, Max, and Matty."

The man stared.

"That way you can tell when Max starts sending the death threats," Quatre explained, a wicked grin flashing across his face as he started the engine. "We've gotta get going."

Blake laughed, stepping back, then looked over to Matty with a grin. "If you don't tell, I won't tell."

Matty grinned back at him and Quatre pulled from the spot. He waved toward his friend, then sat properly in his seat, pursing his lips. He wasn't sure if he wanted to mention his irritation to the former-blond, or if he should let it go.

"Yes, I know I totally overstepped myself," Quatre muttered, not looking around. "Don't try and not be annoyed with me."

"You want me annoyed with you?" Matty demanded, not looking around either.

"No, but I don't want you to pretend you're not. I'm sorry about that—I know this situation has to be annoying for you..."

"I don't think annoying is the word," Matty cut him off, looking out the window. "And the thing that annoyed me was you just stepping in on me. I don't think I'm going to be able to do the whole...not-alone thing."

"If Hanager is after you," Quatre said quietly, "then you _have_ to."

Matty shrugged slightly.

"I'm sorry," Quatre added, looking around to him as they stopped at a light. "I didn't think about what I was doing when I did it. I won't do it like that anymore...and maybe we can find you a new car in case they have tabs on your old one."

Matty met his eyes.

"The idea of Hanager getting ahold of you terrifies me," Quatre added, still studying his eyes. "Knowing you were at the hardware store with those MS there terrifies me. The idea of something happening to you..." he looked away, shaking his head. "I'm going to do everything in my power to keep you safe," he added, looking back to Matty. "You're like a brother to me, and I don't want to think what it would be like without you there...so bear with me. Bear with all of us."

Matty smiled slightly, looking sidelong at the man, then shrugged. "If I have to."

Quatre gave him a very level look.

Matty snickered, and shifted back in his seat, pulling out his phone. "I'm telling Heero you were all mushy."

"Then I'll tell him about Kiradane."

"He knows about Blake," Matty retorted happily. "He thinks it's kinky."

Quatre snorted, starting the car moving again. "He would."

Matty started laughing—he really hadn't expected that to be the response.

- -

"Yo," Harpid greeted Rab happily. "Just thought I'd give you the latest heads up. That Williams boy just showed up on the base with Winner and is all proud of himself. I guess he quit his job."

"Okay?" Rab asked blankly.

"I just figured I'd let you know so the next time you get a wild hair up your ass to go tearing around the city in a MS, you don't go back to that hardware store."

"Excuse me?" Rabid demanding, noting the disrespect in the tone.

"I'm keeping my mouth closed," the man returned, "but I'm out. Don't expect any more information from me."

"You can't just..."

"I just did," the man cut him off. "And if I even _think_ you have goons coming after me, I'll go running right to the brigadier fucking general you hate so bad."

Rab fell silent, and after a moment, there was a click.

"What?" Ranger asked, moving into the room.

"Harpid just quit on us," Rab returned, looking around to him.

"I'll kill him," Ranger started, turning for the door in annoyance.

"He said he'd keep quiet if we left him alone," Rab snapped. "He might come back to us if we don't act hasty...he also said that the blond-ass was going around base with the Williams boy. Congratulations, you made him quit his job with your foolishness."

Ranger turned to stare at him.

"Let's go to lunch," he added, rising from his seat. "I'm not intending to sit here and wait for those other oafs to get back from ogling _goldfish_."

- -

"I want a bike," Heero noted thoughtfully, studying the model Wufei and Duo had. "One for speed."

The attendant narrowed his eyes at Heero.

"Hm?" Heero asked, looking back to him. "Is there a problem?"

"Do you happen to know Mr. Cambell, or Mr. Temblar?"

"Yeah, they're my friends," Heero agreed easily. "Why?"

The man sighed, gesturing at the bike. "That's the last one in the shop. Will it be cash or credit?"

Heero stared at him in confusion. He didn't understand why his knowing Wufei and Duo meant an end to courtesy.

"Do you want me to bother running a credit check so you can embarrass the hell out of me?"

"I don't know what happened with my friends," Heero said firmly, raising his eyebrows at the man. "But that gives you absolutely no right to be an asshole to me."

The man started to set himself, looking a little contrite.

"Save your breath," Heero retorted, turning and starting for the entrance. "I won't bother you with my business."

"Wait..." the guy darted forward.

Heero walked out the door, annoyed deeply. He knew well enough that Wufei and Duo could be dicks. They both would get annoyed with people easily. They also repeatedly claimed that they _hated_ people. The open rudeness directed at him by the man was a bit strong though.

If they had to deal with people like that all the time, he'd understand their sentiments. Then again, if he had to deal with people like Wufei and Duo all the time, he could understand the attendant's sentiments.

The annoying outcome of walking out on the man was that he had to find another bike shop. He'd seen enough of Duo and Wufei's bikes to know he wanted one like that...so maybe...

"Sir...I'm sorry," the man said, catching up with him as they neared his car. He stopped as he looked the machine over, then raised his eyes back to Heero's. "Please...forgive me. I've had a long day and everyone seems to think I'm doing something wrong."

"If you've decided not to like someone because you dealt with their friends already, I think I understand why."

"I'm _sorry_," the man insisted, moving closer. "That's the floor model," he added, gesturing at the thing. "It has an automatic ten percent off...and I'll give you a fifteen percent discount for my rudeness. Please. I didn't mean to offend you."

Heero considered him a long moment, then sighed and moved out of his car, closing the door.

"Do you own this?" the guy added, studying the machine.

Heero nodded.

"Damn fine piece of work," the man muttered, looking it over. "I like that blue, too."

"It catches a certain amount of attention," Heero agreed, studying the man.

"You know the color name?" the man asked, meeting Heero's eyes. "I bet we could find it on the books—get the detailers to match it," he indicated the bike.

Heero blinked at that, wondering slightly. "Customization is a bit expensive..." for a bike he'd probably end up using as a weapon.

"Free of charge," the man offered. "A visible apology from me."

Heero snorted at that, considering the sapphire blue of his machine a long moment. It'd be nice to have the bike in order, but he intended it to weave between traffic and take sidewalks if he had to. "No," he decided after a moment. "No...maybe some time, but not now."

"You sure?" the guy asked. "The color seems to suit you."

Heero grinned at the man, starting back for the store. "Maybe some time...but not now."

- -

Jinli sucked the last bit of juice from his juice-box. He'd picked up a bunch of them at the store, and was amused to note he wasn't the only one who drank them. They were kids drinks, sure, but they tasted pretty good.

He flipped the page of the newspaper, crossing out another job he'd thought to sign-up for. He'd looked online, and the thing was already gone. He hadn't thought it would be that hard to find one, but he was so tired of paper-pushing he really wanted almost anything else.

He was half-tempted to go apply at the store Matt had just quit from.

His cell started ringing.

He sighed, raising the thing to his ear without looking at the face. "Hello?"

"Jin?"

Jinli closed his eyes.

"Don't hang up on me," Cassidy said quickly. "I'm sorry, all right? You'd just made me so mad...but...but I don't really want to break up."

Jin snorted slightly.

"If you just wouldn't do that sort of..."

"Cass?" Jin cut her off before she could go on blaming him. "I'm gonna stop you right there and..."

"What?" she protested, sounding sad. "Jin..."

"You know how you were all dismissive of my friend being around again? The one I grew up with?" she started to respond, but he ignored that. "He's still around, and actually, I've moved in with him."

"You're gay?" she demanded in flat tones of disbelief. "Wait, you moved out of our _apartment?_"

"No, I moved out of _my_ apartment," he returned evenly. "So no matter what you think, you're not moving back in with me."

"Then what am I supposed to do?" she snapped irritably at him. "Alex kicked me out, and I don't have enough money for an apartment."

"That wouldn't Alex Mirfand, would it?" he asked, shifting back in his seat and crossing his free arm over his chest. "You left me and got with _that_ piece of shit? And you want me to _care_ now?"

"What do you mean by that?" she snapped.

"I think I mean I'm blocking your phone number," he returned easily. "Better yet, I'm getting a new phone."

She stared crying. "I thought you loved me?"

"I did love you," he returned. "You were a cry-baby, hyper sensitive, refused to take responsibility for anything...but I loved you. You left me, remember? Good luck with your fucking _life_," he slammed the phone shut and tossed it onto the table.

Of course she'd try pulling that shit now...of _course_ she'd gone after Alex.

The woman had no brain.

He rubbed at his temples.

"What's up?"

Jinli jumped hard, turning to look at Wufei in disbelief. "You get off early?"

"No," Wufei gave him an interested look. "It's four...I usually get home at four."

Jin blinked at that, looking to his watch, then up to the computer.

"No luck with the jobs, then?" Wufei added, moving to the fridge—they were in the second apartment. He dug out a juice box, turning to give Jin another interested look.

"I applied for a couple," Jin returned, rubbing at his arms. "There's some hope."

Wufei grinned at that, tossing him another juice box as he dug to get something from the bottom of the fridge.

"How'd your day go?"

"Pretty normal...where're Quatre and Matt?"

"Matt went to quit his job, and Quatre had some weird thing going on at the base. I haven't seen them all day."

Wufei nodded, closing the fridge and starting to open a package with a cupcake thing in it.

Jinli's phone started ringing again, and he turned to look at the face, then groaned.

"What?" Wufei asked as Jin silenced the call.

"Cassidy," Jin spat bitterly, glaring at the thing. "Stupid bitch."

"Your ex?" Wufei asked, excitement crossing his face. He darted across the room and took the phone, making a wait gesture to Jinli as he opened it. "Listen bitch," he said in a tone that sounded flamboyantly gay—he had the head motions and everything. "I don't know _who_ you think you are or _what_ you think you're doing, but I do not appreciate you talking to _my_ man."

Jinli started laughing, quietly leaning off to the side.

"What? Oh no..._oh_ no," Wufei turned sparkling eyes on Jin. "I will _cut_ you, bitch. I will go get my blades right now and _cut_ you..."

Cassidy exploded as Jinli started laughing.

Wufei himself started laughing, ending the call. He smacked Jinli's shoulder briefly as he continued laughing, turning back to find his juice-box. "So," he muttered happily. "What do you want for dinner?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Six**

"What?"

Jaden was standing with his back to the wall outside Ranger's room. He'd been about to go in and try to talk sense into the man again, but his phone hand rang.

"You're sure?" Ranger persisted. "You're not just saying that because...yeah. I guess...no." The man sighed. "Okay, I'll take your word for it, I guess gays do things..."

Whoever he was talking to exploded on the other end, and Jaden wondered at Ranger's utter lack of even the semblance of being politically correct.

"Sorry," Ranger muttered. "I just start thinking of that boy..."

All amusement left Jaden in an instant.

"...and I forget what I'm saying. Yes I know what he said. I don't care...I doubt we'll be able to take care of this mess in a head-on attack, and he keeps insisting we can stand up to a gundam. Without one of the special suits from...from back at base, we can't do a damn thing."

Jaden pressed his hand to his mouth, closing his eyes. If he let his anger build at this point, Ranger would feel him—and Deroy had _obviously_ lost his fucking mind.

So what was the point? Why was Ranger getting anyone to find _anything_ out about that stupid kid?

"Okay, so...if you can get one of our other safehouses ready for him...we're gonna go into town again after a bit. I'll go grab him while Rab is playing with the other suits..." he trailed off. "Yes, there _were_ two."

Yeah, a Leo and a gundam.

"No it was _not_ a Leo," Ranger retorted. "You'd have to see it...you _saw_ the feeds didn't you? We couldn't see it until we opened the hatch. Scared the _shit_ out of me to see that damned scythe..." Ranger chuckled. "No, I never ended up anywhere important enough for the gundams to come. I'd never seen one, and with what I do...I never fought one. Of _course_ I know how to fly a suit. That's basic training." He laughed again. "I guess...just get a place ready for me, all right? Rab will probably be pissed at first, but I can talk him around."

Jaden ran a hand through his hair, looking around. If Rab would just come _in_, he could point this out to him. This would be blatant proof that Deroy had some obsession with the damned boy...but if Ranger got to him first...

"All right, so...nothing fancy. He's just a kid. I'll lose his phone in the building and probably have to knock him out—he's a wiry little bastard...so...yeah. Uh-huh, all right...bye."

Jaden moved away from the door quickly, sliding into his room. He took a few steps to drop on the bed, starting to massage his head.

"Hey!" Rab called from the entryway of the house.

Jaden jumped up, but before he could make it to his door, Ranger was already halfway across the room with happy greetings.

He'd known he wouldn't get his point across.

"You about ready?" Rab asked seriously. "I'm ready—at this point, they should all be at their apartment. I was thinking we should just destroy the thing and be done with it."

"We can try," Ranger agreed happily, moving to grab his jacket, then spotting Jaden. "Hey, J," he added. "Where have you been?"

"I have a headache," Jaden returned, pressing at his temple again.

"Oh," the man hesitated. "There's some aspirin and stuff in the cupboard behind the mirror," he indicated the bathroom. "That should help, shouldn't it? I don't think we have anything for a migraine."

"You could pick some up on your way," Jaden noted sarcastically.

Ranger laughed like he thought it was a good joke, and Rab rolled his eyes. "Be ready to run," he ordered, "and get Qingfu away from those damn whales. If we do it we're leaving the MS and heading back to Brazil."

"Right," Jaden agreed, running his hands over his arms. "I'll...I'll do what I have to do."

They both gave him mildly perplexed looks, then turned and started for the door. Rab instantly started talking about what he'd found and how he'd thought to approach it, and Jaden dropped to his knees on the couch as the door shut behind the pair.

There was no way Rab would ever believe him. He put far too much faith in Deroy, even though Deroy had proven himself sketchy before.

So it was up to him.

He looked around the safehouse, then moved toward his room. If he left too close after the others, they'd notice him for sure. He'd gather his things and hope that Qingfu showed up before he was done.

He couldn't wait anymore—there was no _time_ left.

- -

Matty sighed, leaning against Heero contentedly. They were in the first apartment on the couch. Jinli was up in the loft doing his forms, and Trowa was sitting at the bar talking to Timothy about something that made them both laugh a lot. Quatre was stretched down the other end of the couch, actually watching the show.

Duo and Wufei were at the cave. Duo'd been severely annoyed by a scratch on Deathscythe's hull, and was taking the time to paint it. Matty thought that seemed ridiculous, but they treated their machines like they treated their cars—better, actually. Wufei had something he wanted to do to _his_ machine, but he hadn't gotten so detailed.

Well, he hadn't been bitching about it.

A siren shrilled to life across the screen, making all conversations stop. After a moment, a ticker scrolled across the screen. /_Attention pilots_. _Channel 387_; _use code_/

"Use what code?" Quatre muttered irritably, hitting the numbers it'd suggested. The screen demanded a password, and he looked around to Heero.

"Probably 002," Heero noted. "Though it could be four, since you've been playing the face of..."

Quatre gave him a look and typed in his own code.

A man appeared on the screen, wild-eyed...he looked vaguely familiar to Matty, but he wasn't sure why. "Two rogue MS suits are currently attacking..."

The building shook.

Quatre and Heero looked to each other as another rattling came, then jumped up and ran to the window.

"How the _hell_ do they know where we _live?_" Quatre snarled, turning to look around. The man on screen was still talking, but he was basically saying they weren't sure what was fully happening.

"Duo?" Matty muttered, the phone to his ear. "The MS are...are here."

"Son of a..." Duo started—both Heero and Quatre had turned to look at him, then behind him.

Matty turned his head as Duo continued cursing and shouting across the cave—to see Trowa and Tim standing there.

"_Get down!_" Quatre shouted, throwing himself to the floor as Heero dived as well. Matty had enough time to see Trowa shove Tim to the ground before getting shoved off the couch himself...and looking up to Jinli, who was standing at the edge of the railing with wide and horrified eyes...before the worst sound he'd ever heard in his life blotted out anything remotely like thought.

"In the closet!" Heero started shouting, pulling Matty off the floor as he realized the brick of the building had been cracked. "Get in the closet _now!_"

Matty and Tim were both herded into the bedroom area as Quatre spat acid curses about the price of fixing the building and why they hadn't lined the entire apartment with gundanium...then Jinli was behind Heero demanding what he was supposed to do, only to be shoved into the closet as well as the door slammed closed.

Tim moved away from the back-wall of the thing, staring in horror as more of that awful sound came. He could hear Trowa talking loud and fast...then the door slammed, and the apartment fell silent...until another volley of sound hit them.

"Wufei told me this was lined with gundanium," Jinli muttered to Tim, whose eyes were round as quarters. "Bullets like that can't hurt it..."

Something glass sounding cracked, and Matty looked around in dismay as he realized he'd dropped his phone.

"Why did I ever get involved with these guys?" Tim muttered curling down into the corner. "Why..."

"So you could fall to pieces like a bitch," Jinli snapped. "Look at yourself...almost like you'd pee yourself...and the _nineteen_ year old is _fine_."

Matty gave him a look as Tim focused on him.

"You are," Tim muttered, staring at him in dismay.

"Until I hear Ranger's voice," Matty retorted, tossing a shoe toward the area where Trowa's clothes hung down. "I fall to pieces when I hear him."

"And run," Jinli noted.

"Thanks for the..."

"No," Jinli cut him off. "Quatre and Duo realized it when they were talking yesterday. You heard Ranger and you ran—you're supposed to be able to do that instead of freezing."

Matty blinked at him...as the electricity flickered out. It took the teen a moment to realize he'd been ignoring the sounds outside their hiding place...until another explosion came.

Jinli pressed himself to the wall at the sound of a building falling apart, closing his eyes and starting to pray. Seeing that made Tim curl up even more, and Matty looked to the roof of the closet. They'd all told him they thought Heero'd lined the thing with gundanium, but he'd never owned up to doing it—he _had_ however, told Matty.

The thing would hold up to some large thousand pounds of pressure—which he'd went on to explain meant the apartment falling down on top of it wouldn't even dent it...and if what Matty was hearing was correct, the apartment _would_ be falling on it at any moment.

The closet lurched, throwing them against Tim and the wall...until it hit something solid and rebounded.

"We have to get out of here," Tim hissed, looking around. "If that was the outside wall...I don't think this could take hitting the ground if it got knocked over."

"Right," Matty whispered, darting to the door and sliding it carefully open. He wasn't sure what he expected to see—but it wasn't Trowa's bed. The door stuck before it opened all the way—and the closet was hitting the gundanium-lined shelf that sat at the head of Trowa's bed. "Come on," he whispered, darting out as Jin tossed Tim behind him.

The apartment was more a veranda than an apartment. The outer wall had been pierced-through—but the windows were made of a good bullet-proof glass that lay in firm sheets where they'd fallen...and Deathscythe had engaged the one MS.

"Holy shit," Jinli whispered, staring across the now open wall.

"Heero builds things to last," Matty agreed in vague amusement.

The only thing left whole were the beds against the wall and the closet. The dividing..._thing_...had snapped, and part of it was hanging from the inside-end, while the outer bit was laying across what had once been the outside wall.

"Damn, the carpet's fucked," Matty muttered, looking down at the thing.

"The carpet?" Jinli demanded of him. "There's a veranda where your bedroom used to be, and you're worried about the _carpet?_"

Matty sniggered at that, looking around, then noticed the second MS in front of the building—not quite coming at it, but it seemed to have flicked attention to it.

"It's time to move," Jinli added, yanking Tim from where he'd been curled on the bed. He pulled the guy bodily toward the entrance to the second apartment, then hesitated in the hall. "This is the most structurally sound area left," he added, indicating an area between rooms. "We'll want to just hunker down here. I'd pull the closet up to the door to be sure we were safe, but I don't think I could move it."

"The five pilots _together_ couldn't move it," Matty reassured him. "They moved it with a crane or something weird...or maybe Heero just built it against that wall."

"I think that," Jinli agreed, turning back to look at the door...as the loud sound came again. There was the sound of breaking and cracking from the other area...before the closet slammed to the wall.

Matty laughed nervously. "See? You don't have to move it."

"But we may need to run," Jinli noted, hauling Tim up again. "Keep your head," he suggested. "I'll take care of the peace-lover—I was trained with Wufei, so I can handle that...but I can't do both him _and_ you. Stay with me, keep your head, and we can make it out of this alive and probably not critically injured."

"Your assurance is invaluable," Matty retorted. "But the real question is do you have the _insurance_."

"Oh haha, funny boy," Jinli retorted.

The closet creaked, then slid away from the wall like it was being dragged...until the very end they'd been in was hanging outside the apartment...and the Leo that had been doing it fell backwards into the street.

"I wish I had my phone," Matty hissed, then looked down at Tim. It took him all of two seconds to have the man's in his hand—and all of two more to dial Heero.

"Oh my god!" Heero sounded like he was panicking. "Tim? It's okay we'll figure something out...we'll..."

"We're in the new apartment," Matty said quickly. "The closet moved in and hit the wall, and we got out."

Heero's relief was almost palpable...as the closet started sliding.

"_No!_" Trowa shouted. "_No! **Tim!**_" the closet started falling.

Tim, who'd been staring at their once safe-haven, looking around blankly to the phone.

"Heero's talking to him," Matty said quickly.

"The elevator went to shit," Heero added quickly. "You need to come down...there's nothing we can do. They were after the apartment the whole time—it's only a matter of time before they switch sides."

"Right," Matty muttered.

"Get anyone out who's still in there," he hissed. "Please, Matty...get anyone you can and get _out_."

"Understood," Jinli muttered, taking the phone and pulling at Tim. "We're moving."

- -

Trowa was shaking as the closet slammed into the ground, bouncing twice before it snapped and fell open. It was stepped on by a mobile suit about two seconds later, and if their friends hadn't made it out of the thing, they would have been crushed...though the fall itself probably would have killed them fine.

He sank to his knees, his hands closing to fists as he looked up and around to Heero. "I need Heavyarms."

"No, you don't," Heero muttered.

The suit stepped on the closet again...and Trowa's nervous stomach got the better of him. He leaned to the side and retched hard. Unless he had his weight against them, he couldn't control his hands from the shaking.

That moment...that instant before Heero'd said they'd gotten out of the closet—watching the thing, his end of it, hanging in mid air...then starting to fall...

He retched again.

He'd never been so emotionally affected by any fight...but the idea of them...

"I need something," he hissed.

"The base has suits," Heero said levelly.

Trowa looked up to him.

"Take my bike," Heero ordered, passing him the keys to the new machine. "Take it and get yourself a suit."

Trowa darted away from the man.

- -

Watching Trowa take off _through_ the feet of the fighting MS left something to be desired, but it was more along the lines of him thinking his damn closet was integrally sound. Seeing that smash on impact to the ground was disappointing...and seeing what was left of their apartment wasn't all that much better.

"We need to move," he shouted to the various people who'd lived in the apartments. "We need to get back! Go!" he pointed toward the far back corner of the parking garage.

They obeyed the voice of authority with alacrity, stumbling in their haste and setting off car alarms as they ran.

Matty needed to hurry up and get out of the damn building before something happened and it collapsed...but Matty would. He didn't doubt that...Matty could do it, and he'd do it right. He'd have made an excellent soldier—but really, for his part, Heero was just as glad he wasn't.

- -

"Go," Jinli ordered the neighbors, indicating the stairs. Tim was already on the first landing as he looked back to Matty. "There's nothing left there," he noted quietly. "Once they get the bricks cleaned up, we can see what's still working, but there's nothing left there now."

"I know," Matty muttered, staring sadly at the gaping hole that used to be an apartment. "Come on," he added, starting down the stairs.

It didn't take them long to sweep the lower apartments room by room, and evidently the two suits had forgotten about the building, because the fighting moved away from it...but floor by floor was taking them a very long time.

At least the people were willing to take the stairs once they heard the fighting had moved away and the elevators weren't working. None of them quibbled about having to climb themselves—though with their lives in the balance, it might make a difference.

By the time they'd made it to the second floor, sending the few people they found out to the carport, Matty's legs were rubber. He crouched as Jinli looked back to him, then nodded once.

"I'll go this time," Tim muttered. He seemed to have regained himself, and headed off in the direction Matty would have gone.

"Would you look at you."

Matty froze, turning toward the stairs to stare.

Jaden moved from the shadows, staring Matty up and down. "Are you playing a _hero?_ I thought that was your boyfriend's kink."

"What are you doing here?" Matty squeaked, starting to dodge after Jinli and falling. Even with the adrenaline, his legs were too tired to hold him.

"Calm down," Jaden hissed, darting forward to him. "You need to rest your legs...did you...were you _up_ there?" he pointed up.

Matty stared back at him.

"I suppose you would have moved in with him at that," the man mused, looking around. "And I guess that makes sense with what Ranger was saying."

"Ranger?" Matty squeaked.

A little girl came running down the hall in an over-large t-shirt, a doll pressed to her chest and terror on her face.

"Whoa, whoa whoa, sweetheart," Jaden reached out and caught her. "Wait for your parents, huh?"

She started bawling, clinging to him.

"You're okay," Jaden reassured her. "You're all right..."

"Thank you!" a man said, scooping the child from his arms as she turned her crying to him. "Thank you! Rita?"

"I'm coming," a woman said, pulling a young boy after her. "I'm coming..."

Jinli moved slowly up to them, studying Matty and Jaden with fierce eyes.

The couple and their children disappeared down the stairs before a teenage girl came from the other direction. She was sobbing, and Tim was encouraging her up the hall...he stopped to look at Matty and Jin, then pushed her down the stairs.

"Who is this?" Jinli asked, looking down to Matty.

"His name is Jaden Timorre," Matty returned, rising shakily to his feet. "And he's one of _them_."

Jinli had a handgun in his hand so fast that Matty wasn't sure where it'd come from—and Jaden was pointing his own weapon right back at the man.

"What do you want?" Jinli demanded, moving forward around Matty.

"I'm just here for the boy," Jaden returned.

Jinli grabbed Matty as he stopped behind him, and Matty made himself small against the man's back.

"Williams, you know I won't hurt you," Jaden snapped.

"You need to leave," Matty returned. "You need to get out of here."

"I can't do that," Jaden said quietly. "Ranger's after you."

"I don't care if you guys want me," Matty snapped.

"No, I have no intentions of letting Ranger get you."

Matty peaked around Jinli's back, but Jin started moving. Matty moved with him toward the stairs, the gun still pointing at Jaden's head.

Moving like that was very awkward, but it didn't lessen the tension in the slightest. They started down the stairs, and after a bit of stumbling, they reached the foyer...as one of the machines fell.

Jaden's attention swung toward the sound, and Jinli broke the standoff, shoving Matty at the entrance to the bike room as he moved behind the counter. Shots rang out as Matty dived into the secondary room, and started for that exit.

- -

The sound of gunshots tore Heero away from the group as Tim, who'd been halfway across the garage, turned to look at the building in disbelief.

"Keep them here or move if you have to!" Heero shouted, shoving Tim toward the people. "Quatre will be here with the military any time now!"

Tim tried to protest being put in charge, but Heero was gone before he could do more than get a word in.

In the moment that followed, Heero sprinted across the ground, noting that the MS Duo'd been fighting hadn't gotten up. That didn't really matter to him, because Demigod was still facing off the other Leo...and who knew where Trowa was with the suit he'd be piloting.

He dodged a bullet that probably would have hit him as the foyer-room became clear to him...and Jaden Timorre.

He snarled as his mind organized the picture—Jinli on the floor, not wounded, and Jaden trying to find somewhere to take cover.

"Where is he?" Heero snarled.

Jin pointed at the bike room, and Heero turned to look outside since that room was empty...but then he remembered Timorre with a gun, and turned back to the man, raising his own weapon.

"Ranger's after Williams," Jaden snapped. "I was just making sure he didn't get him."

"Don't even start that..."

There was a terrified squeak from outside, then, "_Heero!_"

The absolute terror in Matty's voice forestalled the argument, and Heero turned instantly for the exit.

When he gained the front of the building, the first thing he noticed was Ranger...and the gun pointing at Matty's temple.

He froze.

"That's right, Yuy," Ranger snarled as Jinli spilled from the building behind him.

"_Fuck!_" Timorre snarled, then darted at the man.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Ranger snapped.

"Give him to me," Jaden retorted.

Ranger hesitated, and Timorre took the moment to knock the gun from the man's hand. The expression on his face—the shock—would have been funny in other circumstances, but Matty was trying without success to break free of the man.

"I'll _kill_ you," Heero snarled, lunging forward himself. He slammed into the man, feeling both Matty and Jaden snap around behind him, running into each other, then they were moving, rolling across the driveway.

He wanted nothing more than to pour all his frustrations into the man's body. His knuckles were well wet before a minute had passed, and there was noise behind him, but he couldn't tear his focus away from the man who'd upset his lover so badly...he'd take care of Ranger first, then figure out what was going on.

- -

"Let him go!" Jinli snared, moving after Timorre with his weapon raised. "Let him go, man..."

"As long as Ranger knows where he is, he won't be safe."

"Don't be a fool," Jinli snapped.

"Let me go," Matty protested, trying to fight free of _Jaden_. "I'll be fine..."

"Stop," Jaden hissed down at him, moving the weapon so it dug into his side.

Matty and Jinli both froze.

"We're going," Jaden snapped.

"Don't be a fool, man," Jinli protested, stepping slowly closer—but he did stop as the weapon dug more. "Look," Jinli pointed at Heero and Ranger, rolling on the ground. "We've got this."

"Until he's arrested, in police car or something, you do _not_," Jaden snapped, moving back again.

"Jaden..." Matty started.

"Don't start," Jaden snapped at him. "Just come with me."

"I'm not willing to leave Heero," Matty said, moving away from the weapon slightly.

Jaden's hand moved into his hair and pulled. It made him hiss as the man glared at him, then raised the weapon to point at Jinli.

"You think I'm scared of dying?" Jin asked blankly, lowering his weapon very slightly. "You think I'm scared of getting shot?"

"Don't shoot him," Matty hissed, trying to free his hair. "Jaden..."

"Come with me, or I'll blow out his knees," Jaden noted.

Matty froze, remembering Jaden begging him not to let Heero do that. He'd heard that doing that would mess up a person's legs for life.

"Don't worry about me," Jinli snapped, glaring at the man. "Do _not_ worry about me. It's more important that you stay safe."

Heero shouted something unintelligible as he was rolled onto his back.

Matty wanted to go to him, to kick Ranger in the head or something, but then Jaden's grip tightened.

"Man, let him go..." Jinli aimed at Jaden's head.

Jaden moved Matty between them.

Jinli laughed coldly, cocking the weapon.

Matty dropped his legs out from under him as a shot fired, groaning as his hair tore from his head, then rolled away, toward Jin.

Heero made a startled oath, kicking Ranger over and turning toward them.

Jaden was staring down at Matty in disbelief, then looked up to Jin as he opened his hand to let strands fall.

"Trust is a wonderful thing between friends," Jinli hissed, cocking his weapon again.

"Yuy," Jaden started, moving backwards. "Yuy...you don't understand."

"You're trying to abduct my boyfriend," Heero snarled, moving at Jaden. "You've already had a hand in two others, and now you're back for another go."

"Not me," Jaden protested, backing away still more. "I'm not the one..."

Matty shouted, and as they turned, they saw Ranger had him over his shoulder, running full-bore at the MS.

"_Shit!_" Heero snarled, turning to run after the man instantly. Jinli was a moment behind him. It didn't take long for them to be under the feet of the fighting MS, and Heero made a circular gesture, the full length of his arm.

Deathscythe focused down on him.

Jin blinked as the man made several other gestures, and Deathscythe dropped to its knees...in front of Ranger...and the hand moved down to create a barred prison around the man. Matty scrambled out as the second hand enclosed the man, and stumbled a few feet away, trembling and breathing hard.

"Should I crush him?" Duo's voice came from the machine. He sounded vicious.

"Probably not," Heero returned, dropping down next to Matty. "That wouldn't end well, but I think he's armed."

Ranger cried out as the fingers closed.

"You okay, Matty?" Duo demanded.

Matty nodded, still shaking as he clung to Heero.

"That's good," Duo muttered, then laughed coldly. "You think I could get away with an accident?"

Heero started laughing.

"Maxwell..." Jinli protested.

Duo laughed more.

Jaden slunk across to the apartment building, ducking into some bushes.

If Ranger was stopped, Ranger was stopped. He'd like very well to know Ranger was in prison and couldn't hurt anyone—he might be able to get some leeway with Rab if Ranger was gone...and for the moment, they seemed to have forgotten about him.

- -

"Stay here," Heero instructed Matty, who'd been given a light sedative to calm his nerves. "I'm going to make sure they've got Ranger."

The second Leo had disappeared with the other suits behind him. That included the one Trowa'd gotten, because there was no other way a third MS would have shown up on the field, let alone have attacked the remaining suit.

Heero jogged across the area to where they'd had Ranger in their grasp...and slowed as he looked around.

There were people all over—bystanders, officers, soldiers, paramedics, and people from the apartment. People from the fire department had gone up to check out their apartment, and how sturdy the rest of the building was after the pounding it had taken.

That wasn't what made him freeze though.

There were officers laying around the backseat of the car that had been meant to take Ranger...knocked out.

Ranger was gone.

Heero snarled, turning back to the ambulance Matty had been at...and had the worst moment of horror in his life.

"_Matty?_" he shouted, darting back to the empty machine. "**_Matty?_**"

There was no response.

"Where did he go?" Heero snapped at the man who'd been attending Matty's injuries.

"The blond man came and got him," the man returned easily. "He said they'd wait for you with the others."

Heero stared up at him, then swore and turned to run to where Jinli was smoking a cigarette with Quatre occasionally taking the thing. They were staring up at the apartment. They hadn't heard from Wufei, Duo, or Trowa.

"What's up?" Quatre asked, exhaling and looking to Heero.

"Please tell me you have a blond soldier here," Heero snapped.

"Oh, probably," Quatre muttered, looking around. "They wear helmets, though, so..."

Heero closed his eyes.

"Why?" Jinli asked.

"Because Timorre got Matty," he explained, turning and starting to search faces. "Ranger's gone...and I think Timorre got Matty."


	7. Chapter 7

**Seven**

Matty woke slowly, looking around the darkened room. His body felt heavy, and his arms were sore. He started to move them...but they didn't do what he wanted—and there was a sound of metal on metal. He tugged at his arms again, blinking blearily at his hands. That was strange that he was holding them above his head like that...he pulled again, which made the metal sound come again.

The realization took him a moment to fully understand—and that was about when he realized there was cold metal on his wrists.

"What..." he croaked, yanking harder.

"Whoa...calm down," Jaden muttered, darting across to him. "Calm down..."

Matty cried out in horror, yanking again. The bed jostled hard from the motion.

"Don't make me sedate you," Jaden protested, sitting next to him. "Come on, you know you can trust me..."

Matty shifted where he lay and lashed out with his leg, slamming the back of the man's head with his shin—which hurt him and made Jaden cringe. He sniggered slightly, realizing how pointless it really was to struggle when he was _locked_ to a damn metal bed-rail.

"You think that's funny?" Jaden snapped, shoving his legs down hard on the bed.

"That fucking _hurt_," Matty retorted, rubbing the leg he'd used with the other.

The man's eyes narrowed, and he moved across the room.

"What are you doing?" Matty demanded with a sigh. "Unlock me already, shit."

"You kick me in the head, laugh, then tell me to unlock you?" the man snapped, pulling something out of a bag. "How about you pretend you aren't stupid, and I'll pretend to believe you."

Matty gave him a look, then realized the package was a syringe. "Hey," he started, staring at the thing. "Jaden..."

"Oh, _now_ you're okay with talking to me," the man snapped, ripping open a smaller package. "I'll tell you what, when you wake up again..."

"Jaden," Matty protested, alarmed. The man sat next to him on the bed and flipped his shirt up. "Jaden, don't," he protested, raising his legs to push away from the man. It was hard, especially since he was connected to the railing by his wrists. Jaden ended up crawling onto the mattress with him...and sitting on his legs.

"When you wake up, we can try talking again," Jaden informed him seriously.

"Don't _rape_ the boy."

Matty jumped hard, turning to look at an Asian man blankly. The guy looked vaguely familiar, but then a cold wetness hit his stomach and he looked back as the scent of alcohol came up from the area. "Jaden!" he protested.

"I'm not going to _rape_ him," Jaden retorted irritably, then gave Matty a dirty look.

"Why the hell are you sitting on him then?" the guy moved to the side of the bed, studying Matty's face. "He looks older than I remember."

Matty looked back down as the syringe package opened, starting to gather himself.

Jaden made an amused noise, meeting his eyes. "You honestly think you could dislodge me? Or you trying to turn me on?"

Matty released the muscles immediately, searching his face. He'd never gotten the impression Jaden saw him as interesting, and this situation wasn't being guided by the code of conduct the ESA provided.

"You scared him!" the Asian guy protested, punching Jaden in the arm.

Jaden gave the guy a look, then directed a sour one at Matty. "You gonna to quit thrashing around?"

Matty didn't move, studying the guy's face.

Jaden sighed and tossed a small vial across the bed, then took the needle and alcohol wipe across the room to a trashcan.

"My name is Shi..." the Asian started.

"What are you doing here?" Jaden snapped at the man, cutting him off.

"Well, I left the aquarium and got back to the safehouse, heard Rab and Ranger bitching at each other over the speakers—then saw your room."

"How did you find me?" the man asked nervously, looking toward the windows.

"Your phone," the guy gave him an interested look.

Jaden focused on him sharply, then turned and stormed across the room, pawing at Matty's pants.

Being locked to a bed and having someone messing with your pants isn't the most comfortable of situations.

"What are you doing?" the man demanded, moving up to him again. "You lost your mind?"

"His phone has Pax on it," Jaden retorted. "And I'm pretty sure Ranger can _find_ that stupid phone...where is it?" he demanded, meeting Matty's eyes.

"Smashed under a fifteen foot brick wall," Matty retorted.

Jaden stared down at him.

"Yeah, see, this really big humanoid machine came and like...was shooting at our apartment...so we all hit the deck, then me, Jin, and Tim got thrown into the closet as the other pilots scrambled."

"Their suits are close, then?" Jaden asked, looking toward the windows again.

"Why would I know that?" Matty protested, studying the man. "They pointed out what I don't know I can't reveal, and they thought Ranger'd come after me anyway."

"Deroy's a piece of work," the other man noted in amusement, looking him over again. "You are pretty cute."

"Oh, wonderful," Matty muttered, looking across the room. "I'm locked to a bed and some guy thinks I'm cute."

"I won't touch you," the man retorted irritably, looking to Jaden. "What are we doing here? You gonna kill your phone before you get us caught? Mine's back at the safehouse."

Jaden sighed, raising the thing to look at the face, then flipped it over and popped the back of, then the battery out. He took that across the room into the bathroom.

"So...I'm Qingfu," the guy added, studying Matty. "We met briefly before on 27."

Matty studied him, then snorted, looking around again.

"I can get us a helicopter or a plane ride before the fuckers realize we've defected," Qingfu noted, turning around to Jaden. "Ranger had made plans to keep him," he indicated Matty. "So us having him won't be entirely unusual."

"What?" Matty demanded, fear shooting through him.

"Easy, kid," Jaden retorted, moving from the bathroom. "I told you, I only want to keep you safe from that psycho."

"So why not leave me with my boyfriend?" Matty snapped. "I _was_ safe...they caught Ranger anyway."

"What?" Qingfu protested, looking around to Jaden.

"They _had_ Ranger," Jaden retorted dryly. "What you didn't see was him knocking everyone out while the ambulance driver shot you up. Your dumbasses might have cleared up the network on 25, but I'm pretty sure they're only looking for his guys in space. I don't know if you remember or not, but _I_ didn't shoot you up with anything, and you were sleeping for an hour."

Matty stared at him.

"We're going to use that network to get away from here," he added, looking around to Qingfu. "Then I'm going to figure out a way to _get_ away." He looked around to Matty again. "I fought Ranger," he added, looking to Qingfu. "He and I were fighting when Yuy freaked out on him. Yuy was mopping the driveway with his face again, but all it takes to stop Yuy's world is for the kid to cry out," he gave Matty a look. "How does it feel to know if you cry, one of the most powerful forces on the planet bends to your whim?"

"And what the hell good," Matty asked, looking to his hands, "does that do me...when I'm handcuffed to a bed-railing?"

Jaden made an amused noise, looking him over. "You're going to fight me every step of the way, aren't you?"

"I want to be back with my boyfriend, where I'm safe," Matty retorted, meeting his eyes. "It might be a strange idea to you, but locked to some strange man's bed _doesn't_ imply safety."

Qingfu started snickering.

"I will sedate _your_ ass," Jaden snapped at the man, then looked back to Matty. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"If you get me back to Heero, I'll make sure he doesn't come after you."

Jaden stared down at him a long moment, then looked around to Qingfu. "Get us a plane. I want to get away from here as soon as I can. I don't care where, as long as it's not on this continent."

Matty closed his eyes, pulling at the cuffs.

He'd thought he was safe. Heero'd been with him...Ranger had been captured...but he'd thought he was _safe_.

He could have cried...he _wanted_ to cry...but with Jaden and Qingfu running around and organizing things...he realized he didn't want them to see it.

- -

"Where the _fuck_ did he go!" Heero slammed the man's head against the wall as he shouted, moving again like he'd punch.

"Whoa...whoa whoa..." Wufei moved in before the violence could break out a second time.

The night had been long enough without that.

Heero backed off, flexing his hand at about shoulder height. His muscles were completely tense, and Quatre'd left the room because of him.

Granted, if not for Quatre, they wouldn't have realized the medic that had given Matty a shot to "soothe his nerves" had actually given him one to knock him out.

The man himself had been trying to claim some higher cause, something about a lawyer and representation...but little legalities like that didn't catch Heero's attention. He wasn't interested in what someone who'd wronged him _wanted_, he was interested in _answers_...and the man had found that out the hard way.

Wufei tossed the man's ice pack back in his lap, watching as Heero started to pace. "I want you to understand something," Wufei noted, turning to look at the man. "If I get bored or exasperated, I'm going to leave."

The man's eyes widened.

"So...I suggest you start answering our questions."

"You'd be court martialed," he protested.

"Yeah, probably," Wufei agreed, studying him. "The thing is, nothing will come of it...we've all had it before, and look at us now?" he gestured casually at Heero, who was popping things.

"The camera," the guy protested, looking up at the thing.

"I don't think it's on," Wufei returned, rising to his feet. "I'll go check."

Heero turned back to them.

"No!" the guy protested, almost jumping after him. "No...it's...it's okay."

Wufei gave the man a skeptical look and sat on the table again. "So...where was the plan to take him?"

"Well...there's a place over on Stark Street," the man muttered, looking perplexed.

Heero turned, his phone moving to his ear.

"But if you were fighting Ranger and...and Timorre was," the guy said quickly. "If Timorre was against Ranger...then that wouldn't be the place."

Heero turned on him. "Who do you need to call to find out?"

The man mouthed at him, probably thinking something about the Fifth Amendment rights...but then he looked to the camera. "I'm not entirely sure," he admitted.

"Why don't you take a minute to think about it?" Heero asked, moving forward and shoving Wufei away. "I'm really about out of patience."

- -

Duo pounded the punching bag harder, feeling something changing in the substance of something. It might have been the bag, or it might have been his knuckles. He didn't care, because until Heero could get answers from someone, they were sitting around waiting.

They had to wait for the fire department to declare the integrity of their apartment sound, they had to wait to find out if there was any damage to Deathscythe or Demigod...they'd chased Rab until the engines on the shields had started to overheat. They had to wait to know if Matty was even _safe_. They had to wait to see if the local PD could find Ranger...

There was a sound that didn't match the pattern of his punching, contrasting with the sound...like tearing.

The bag tore apart, and his arm extended further than he'd intended...and shrieked with pain as the tightened muscle over extended.

"**_Fuck!_**" he shouted swinging so his hand didn't slam into the wall. His elbow took the force instead, and he dropped into a crouch as his pain-clouded senses swam.

"Duo?"

Duo turned on Wufei.

"Don't you dare," Wufei warned him, taking a step back. "Don't you..."

Duo swung.

The moment prolonged indefinitely as Wufei dodged his first few swings, but then one landed solidly in the man's side...and he exploded into action.

"Hey! Hey! _Hey!_" a colonel darted from somewhere else in the gym as soldiers muttered to each other, shoving Duo back, then dodging the hit Wufei threw around the man. "Stop!" he shouted. "_Stop_ it!"

Duo realized that there was something wet on his face, wiping at it, then blinking at the blood on his wrap—he had a length of cloth from the boxing. He wiped again, feeling a stinging sensation after a moment, then met eyes with Wufei.

Wow...he'd really just done that, hadn't he?

He looked around at the soldiers that had gathered—an awful lot of them for such a short fight...but at the same time, when had Wufei landed that punch? Hadn't they been by the...

He looked back across the gym, realizing they'd crossed half of it.

Wufei let out a guffaw of laughter, wiping at the stream of blood on his own face. "You look like shit, Maxwell."

"You look worse," Duo retorted.

The man licked his lips, hesitant to move from between them.

"You punch like a bitch," Wufei added, wiping more.

"Bitches do damage," Duo retorted, looking around for a mirror. "Come on, let's go clean up."

"Uh..." the colonel started uncertainly.

"Stand down," Duo ordered, meeting his eyes evenly.

The man stared at him.

"You'd hesitate to listen to a Brigadier General?" Wufei demanded.

The man's eyes went even wider and he fell back instantly, saluting them.

"I'll get maintenance down here to clean that up," Duo noted, indicating the punching bag he'd destroyed. "I'll also get the order for a replacement sent out."

"No need sir," the man saluted. "I can take care of that."

"Very well," Duo agreed, looking around to the soldiers were staring at him.

"Do you suppose they aren't saluting because I'm not in uniform?" Duo added to Wufei.

The soldiers almost fell into stance as one, and Duo nodded cordially to them as he turned away.

"Oh, I was going to tell you," Wufei muttered, pressing at the wound on his chin. "Heero terrified the guy into calling his friends. As far as they can tell, the only change from normal in their lines is that someone took a plane to China."

"China?" Duo asked, looking to him in confusion. "Why China?"

"Maybe because most people think of Asia as a _really_ long way that way," he pointed east.

"But it's a remarkably short way that way," Duo protested, pointing to the west. "Comparatively, I mean."

"It's either an idiot mistake or something deeper," Wufei noted, running his hands through his hair, then sighing and looking to his knuckles. "Was there any particular reason you attacked me?"

Duo considered that a moment, then shrugged. "I wanted to really fight, and you're more than capable."

"Oh geeze," Wufei retorted, giving him a look. "How kind of you."

Duo grinned at him, massaging his right arm. "I knew you'd appreciate it...why the hell _China?_ Where the hell _in_ China?"

"Hong Kong, as close as we can tell. Heero's ordering himself a ticket now."

"Only one? Are we meeting there later?" Duo gave him a concerned look.

"In case you hadn't noticed," Wufei returned dryly, "we have these really big mobile suits...and they're the only things capable of _stopping_ the rogue suits."

Duo gave him sour look.

"Trowa's talking about heading up to 27 to pick up his parade, so Quatre will probably go with Heero."

Duo's heart throbbed, and he avoided Wufei's eyes entirely. He didn't want Quatre anywhere he wasn't—he didn't want to be _without_ Quatre...but sometimes it was necessary...right?

Was there a valid way to get Quatre to stay with him?

The thought made him feel guilty, and he looked around to see if Wufei was watching him.

Wufei's expression was vaguely amused as he looked out the far window as if nothing had happened.

"Don't laugh at me," Duo protested.

"Jin was trying to convince Heero to take him along," Wufei noted, looking back to Duo.

"Jin would be good," Duo agreed quickly. "The two of them could...Quatre wouldn't have to..."

Wufei started laughing, stopping walking.

"What?" Duo protested, rounding on him. "_What?_"

"You looked like a kicked puppy when I suggested Quatre go with Heero," he noted, snickering more. "You're head over heels for him..." he laughed even more.

"Why is that funny?" Duo protested. "I don't see why that's funny!"

"Because you're all big and bad...but not without your _Quatre_..." Wufei darted past him quickly. "Poor baby..."

Duo took a swing at him, chasing him down the hall.

He didn't feel bad anymore for attacking the guy—he deserved it.

- -

Ranger's hands were shaking as he stared at his reflection in the mirror in front of him. There was no denying he'd gotten into a fistfight...but with his now-blond hair, Jaden wouldn't see him coming.

He was going to _kill_ Jaden. He knew Rab would be all right with Qingfu—just as long as he could catch that treacherous bastard.

Their network was big enough, but it only had one or two people in most places—and only in the larger cities, anyway. If he could get back to Brazil, he could get more soldiers—he could probably find some spies and stuff to send after Jaden...but that would take so much more time than just going after and grabbing the bastard.

What did he think? That Rab would be okay with him stepping in like that? Who knew what he'd given away by going for the boy like that—maybe he was playing both ends toward the middle. Maybe he even had someone else he was working for.

It didn't matter in the end, because Ranger wanted to hurt him. His hands almost ached with the want of grabbing his skin...maybe if Jaden just gave him the boy...maybe they could make a deal.

Why was Jaden even _after_ the boy? Had he gotten him? The man Ranger'd been planning with had been the one in the ambulance they'd taken the kid to. The man would have known Ranger'd get away as soon as he could...and he'd probably sedated the boy. He'd seen Jaden supporting the boy into the crowd, but had lost him...and with the way Yuy'd been going after them both, there was no way they were in league together.

So...the question was how to get to Hong Kong fast—he'd called around while he'd been bleaching his hair. Jaden had taken a plane to Hong Kong.

Ranger ran his hands through his hair.

It was time to get moving.

- -

Rab dropped into a crouch between the rooms that had belonged to Jaden and Ranger, not trying to control his shaking hands.

Ranger had been captured...and where had Jaden gone? Jaden and Qingfu had both disappeared...where had they gone?

He dropped over sideways, staring across the deathly empty apartment, listening to the sounds of the city around him.

It had been damn hard to get away from the _three_ machines. Even the standard fucking _Leo_ had been hard to get away from...and making sure his landing spot hadn't been discovered had been stressful enough when he'd thought Jaden would be waiting for him.

Where had he gone?

He curled up into a ball between the rooms, staring blankly at the back of the couch in front of him.

Now what was he supposed to do?


	8. Chapter 8

**Eight**

"Barton!" Cardle jumped to his feet to salute with a happy smile breaking across his face. "Sir!"

"You wanna go to earth?" Trowa returned, studying the man's expression with interest. He'd been on base all of ten minutes, and wasn't intending to stay longer than he absolutely had to.

The smile turned into a grin as the man nodded in a more formal way—Trowa'd walked in on a class, and he had two more stops to make before he could be away. He still had to give Une the update and get her information, but overall he didn't plan to spend more than an hour on 25.

"Then get your stuff and meet me in the soldier's lounge as soon as you can."

"Sir!" Cardle turned and saluted his teacher, waiting.

The man sighed and gestured—which had Cardle disappearing before Trowa could blink.

"My apologies," Trowa noted, nodding his head to the man. "Excuse me."

"Sir!" the class saluted him as he turned away.

He had the military-issue cargo jeans on with a grey t-shirt. The only visual thing most soldiers would have on him is if they actually looked at his pass. Une would probably have kittens when she realized he went and did official stuff without his uniform on, but he was _not_ going to spend half the day running around like a puffed up blue-bird on stilts.

What the hell was in Hong Kong?

Trowa balled his fist up and lashed out at a wall as he turned a corner. A hollow sounding thud echoed down the hall behind him, and in front of him, but he ignored it as things quieted down a moment.

Hong Kong was a major trading port. Ships, planes, and truck lines entered and left twenty-four hours a day. If Jaden was trying to smuggle Matty away entirely, what would be better than a cargo ship? Hell, a semi wouldn't hurt either—or a train...or a simple car to throw them off.

He ran his hands through his hair, trying to think of anything that might be remotely useful.

"Barton!" Une called from behind him.

A ship would take ages to get anywhere. The most unlikely thing would be to take one back to the United States. That would certainly be a long ride on a ship, and there were far too few options for escape. He'd have to set people to checking the ocean-crossers.

"Barton!" the woman called again, moving faster to catch up with him.

A train could take them back into China, and that would be hard enough to pin down, let alone if it passed to somewhere like Mongolia...or up into Russia. The idea of Russia made him cold inside, because the lay of that country meant they could disappear utterly and searching for a decade might not even make it. He'd heard that the mafia that had once been strong there had started to make a comeback after a few hundred years of quiet, but...

"God _damn_ it, Barton!"

Trowa started, turning at the voice. "Oh...Une. Hi."

"Hi?" she demanded, hands on her hips as she stopped behind him. "I've called to you repeatedly...and now you say hi?"

Trowa blinked at her. "I'm sorry...but..."

"What the hell is going on?" she snapped. "I hear that we have Deroy Hanager in custody...then I hear we have three police officers down, Hanager's gone, and _what_ about Mattox?"

Trowa ran his hands through his hair as he considered the story.

"Spill," she snapped. "What are you doing here? You're not _alone_ are you?"

"I'm getting my parade," Trowa noted, looking around the hall again. "And we're going to earth, and we're going to hunt down Timorre and have him for supper."

"Timorre?" she asked blankly. "What are you talking about? Do we have Hanager or don't we?"

"We don't," Trowa noted, meeting her eyes seriously. "Come on, keep bitching at me and I'll get my other two."

"Ricci's not here," she retorted. "His wife just had her baby so he's on...maternal...leave...paternal. Paternal leave."

Trowa focused on her, raising an eyebrow.

"What are you doing?" she repeated.

"Good," he muttered, gesturing at her. "Keep going."

For some reason, Une didn't seem to appreciate that—but she did keep going. Trowa started for the room Raymond was supposed to be in.

At least he wouldn't have to go find _her_ now.

- -

Time passed in fits and bursts for Matty; occasionally he'd start coming around and feel a sharp pinch. He knew Jaden had hit him up with more sedatives a few times like that, but the languor of the stuff would take him back down into the haze before he could more than look around.

He stared out the window at the road moving by him, realizing after a time that an audiobook was playing. He could remember an airplane...and then walking through a crowd with Jaden supporting him...but not a whole lot more...well, an attendant asking about him. She'd figured the motion-sickness story that Qingfu had fed her was true, but he really wished she hadn't.

She'd been speaking Chinese.

Matty closed his eyes as his stomach roiled, but that didn't help. He groaned, pushing himself up.

"Oh...shit," Jaden looked back at him as Qingfu hit the pause button and turned. "You okay, kid?"

Matty groaned, covering his mouth. He was going to puke, and he really wanted to do it over the men.

Unfortunately, Jaden pulled off the road into a grassy ditch.

Matty tried to pull himself across the seat, but his body wasn't responding like it should—the sedatives hadn't worn off entirely.

"Come on," Qingfu muttered, pulling him out and helping him stumble a few feet away...and holding him up as he puked.

"I was hoping we hadn't given him enough for this," Jaden noted, moving from the car with a bottle of water in one hand. "You okay, Williams?"

"Fuck you," Matty retorted, then heaved again. Not much had come up to begin with, and he really wanted to just curl up in the grass, not hang off some man who'd kidnapped him.

"You deserve that one," Qingfu noted.

"Yeah, well my head still hurts where he kicked me," the man retorted. "Here, Williams," he added offering the bottle. "Rinse your mouth out. Can you move much yet?"

"If you say 'fuck you again'," Qingfu warned, "I will drop you in that pukey mess."

"There's not much down there anyway," Matty retorted straightening and testing if he had any balance.

"Can you move much?" Jaden persisted, his eyes concerned. "I gave you a little too much—I thought you weighed more."

"He can usually guess that stuff without trying," Qingfu added. "So it's not like he meant to overdose you at all."

"I think I'll...be able to move soon," Matty muttered, eyeing the area around them casually. "Where are we?"

"Not in the United States," Jaden returned. "And that's all I'm willing to tell you."

Matty blinked at him.

"Ranger wants you," Jaden added. "And I'm going to do my bit to keep him from getting you."

"It's nice to be wanted," Matty muttered, taking the water bottle and trying not to gag at the taste in his mouth as he rinsed the water around. "My teeth are all fuzzy...that's nasty..." he took another mouthful, tilting his head back to gargle a bit...but the motion over balanced him and he stumbled.

"Just take it slow, all right?" the man persisted. "You should probably drink some of that...and we have some stuff for you in the car. You haven't eaten in a couple days."

Matty glared at him, understanding why he felt entirely off kilter. He'd thought the sedatives had been the reason, but there was more beyond that...and getting the water in his mouth had made him start to realize dehydration was part of his problem.

"You all right? We're gonna find a hotel tonight and you can clean up and stuff...I have some pants and stuff you can wear while Qing does your stuff."

"You're so kind," Qingfu muttered, rolling his eyes.

"I have money," Matty muttered, trying to keep himself calm. "I can buy more..."

"You're clever," Qingfu noted sarcastically, scooping him up by the waist. "But we're not stupid."

"Let's see, you kidnap me and take me across at least one international border against my will...you have me sedated for _days_...and you're saying you're _not_ stupid? I don't understand. Do you know Chinese?" he asked. "I can speak Chinese if you can say what you mean better."

"Get in there," Qingfu retorted, tossing him into the back seat and slamming the door.

"He was a lot nicer when we were on 27," Jaden mused, climbing into the driver's seat. "We got along and stuff, I promise."

"Just let Heero come _get_ me," Matty whispered, feeling tears in his eyes as he stared at the man. "If Heero gets me..."

"He'll kill me," Jaden returned, studying Matty's eyes. "I took you from him when he thought you were safe. I shot you up with sedatives against your will...I took you to another _country_. Yuy is going to _kill_ me if he finds me—but that's nothing compared to what Ranger will do to you if he gets you."

Matty looked away.

"So bear with me," the man added quietly as Qingfu buckled. "Deal with this jackass...and I'll get you back to Yuy...in time."

"I don't think you fully understand what's happening," Qingfu said quietly. "We totally went against Rabid...we totally went against Ranger. It's just us now...and we did it to keep _you_ safe."

Jaden glanced at the man.

"We went against everyone we've worked with for years...to keep you safe. I can understand you not being happy, Matt, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't make everything a trial."

Matty met his eyes, staring him down. He wasn't particularly impressed with the man's commentary, but he could appreciate the bits of reality in it.

After the way Jaden and Ranger had fought over having _him_, he believed that Ranger wanted to take him from Jaden. He didn't know why Jaden was against the man, but he knew that to be the truth. He also knew that generally speaking, Jaden was a caring person.

He sighed after a minute, digging into the leg-pocket of his cargo jeans.

"You checked him for weapons, didn't you?" Qingfu snapped.

"He's scared of guns," Jaden retorted, starting the engine. "What are you doing, brat?"

Matty caught the chain he'd been looking for and pulled the man's dog-tags out, tossing them to the man and glaring at him.

Jaden blinked at him, then lifted the chain to read the tags, then looked around to Qingfu.

"Are those dog-tags?" Qingfu demanded blankly.

"Thank you," Jaden muttered, looking back to Matty with a confused expression. "Thank you."

Matty turned away from him to look back at the fast flow of traffic next to them.

"Those are..._your_ dog-tags?" Qingfu asked blankly.

"When Yuy and them came after him," Jaden explained, pulling back into traffic, "I ended up coming face to face with Yuy."

"And he knocked you out," Qingfu agreed.

Matty snorted at that.

It had _not_ been that straightforward.

"I'm _telling_ him," Jaden retorted. "Don't be obnoxious."

"You'll kick me out and let me walk home?" Matty retorted.

"No, but I can make your life hell," Jaden returned, looking around to him. "Don't even pretend I can't."

Matty looked away.

"Anyway," Jaden looked back to Qingfu. "The shit's phone had Pax on it, right? And guess what else? Chronus."

"What?" Qingfu demanded in disbelief. "No way..."

"You're right," Matty retorted. "It's not _Chronus_...as if they'd put a buggy patch on my phone."

They both looked back to him.

"The program was called Pan," he added, looking between them. "I compared it to Chronus before and it's enough to make me laugh. Chronus is a kid's toy compared to Pan."

They studied him seriously a moment, then looked to each other.

"Yuy made Pan," he pointed out. "And he set all sorts of nifty options—things that I couldn't even make my phone do through the options _on_ it."

"And that explains what Ranger's tweak was," Qingfu noted. "There _was_ something up with his phone."

"Oh yeah," Jaden agreed, shifting around properly to actually mind the traffic around them. "I took him to the clinic and we ended up in the hall room, right? Well, I went back to talk to him again and his phone was on, I could see it through his pocket."

"I didn't turn it on and you _shouldn't_ have hit me like that. Seeing me bleeding could have made _Yuy_ snap."

"Don't try and make us scared about what Yuy will do to us since we have you," Jaden ordered him. "We know we're up shit creek without a paddle, and I already told you. I'm _not_ letting Ranger get you."

Matty sighed, looking away.

"Anyway," Jaden went on. "We were bickering and he was telling me to stay away from the door so I didn't get shot."

Qingfu snorted.

"And Yuy came in...like nothing. Williams jumped between us so Yuy didn't shoot me...and it was sort of a stand off. I couldn't bring myself to _shoot_ his stupid-ass," he cast a meaningful look at the teen, "and for some stupid reason, he wasn't letting Yuy shoot me...but Yuy wasn't about to leave me behind and conscious...so he fuckin' brained me with his pistol." He rubbed the side of his head, grimacing. "Not pleasant, by the way," he added to Matty.

"I _should_ have let him blow your knees," Matty retorted.

"He really was a lot nicer on the colony," Jaden noted to Qingfu conversationally. "I actually liked him and felt bad for him and stuff."

"You're both fucking special...why did the kid have your tags?"

"Well, after he knocked me flat, I'm assuming they had a quicky..."

"Oh please," Matty snapped, turning to glower at him. "We had to get to the fucking ship with Ranger dogging our heels the whole way."

"And you had my vest, right?" Jaden asked. "I've never known what really happened. Did you take the damn tags off me?"

"No!" Matty glowered at him. "Yuy took your Kevlar and had me put it on so I had a little protection...and they were stuck on that."

"Ah," Jaden nodded, fingering the chain. "That makes sense...how did you guys fare then, anyway?"

"Heero and Ranger rolled around in the hallway like school-boys, pummeling each other to a pulp...but I knew we had to hurry so I grabbed the firearm Ranger had and..."

"He's not dead," Jaden pointed out.

"Like I could have _really_ shot him," Matty retorted. "I aimed it at him and he stopped moving, so I ran for it. Heero came after me and we had to duck around halls and stuff until we got to the port."

"That was so fucking insane," Qingfu muttered, rubbing his temples. "How many guys did they actually _have_ with them? Thirty?"

Matty guffawed.

"No, seriously," Qingfu protested, turning to face him.

"It was just them," Matty retorted, staring at him. "Just the five of them."

Qingfu stared at him.

"Yeah...all five of them took your colony," Matty added quietly, studying the man's face. "How many do you think it'll take to find you two?"

"With luck, it won't be a problem," Jaden noted, pulling into another lane. "I don't trust luck, but I'm keeping you away from Ranger...no matter what."

Matty looked away.

"He's been charged with rape before, kid," Jaden pointed out. "And when he gets bored he'll do that shit with his hands to me...your arm?"

Matty rubbed at his left arm, not looking at the man.

"Yeah," Jaden agreed. "He does that to me when he's _bored_. What do you think he might do to you? He's decided it's your fault everything went to shit on 27...and he's right to a point, but all those other dumbasses were asking to be branded rebels."

"It was a sound plan," Qingfu snapped.

"No, a sound plan would be to approach Minister Darlian. A sound plan would have been presenting a request to the ESA. When diplomacy fails is when you start taking fucking hostages. Taking hostages right off brands you a terrorist."

"Like those fucking pilots," Qingfu noted.

"You were from the colonies, weren't you?" Matty demanded, a coal of anger smoldering in his stomach. "You were from the colonies, and you're calling _them_ terrorists?"

Qingfu turned to meet his eyes.

"They were sent _by_ the colonies _to_ earth," Matty added, staring at him. "They were _trained_ under the _**approval**_ of the colonies, and sent to earth...and you're calling _them_ terrorists?"

"You're poundin' a brick wall, kid," Jaden noted, glancing at Qingfu. "You're looking at an Oz special. He worked under Treize Kushrenada himself."

Matty stared at the guy in slowly dawning horror.

Qingfu looked away.

"Actually, from what I understand, that prince and his bitch would recognize him, too."

"Don't call Lu a bitch," Matty snarled at him, the coal flaring into flames. "Don't you _dare_ call her a bitch after what you people did to her!"

Jaden turned and gave him a startled look.

"Colonel Noin isn't a bitch," Qingfu agreed. "And what are you talking about?" he added, looking back to Matty.

"Last time I saw her she was barely out of the I.C.U. because she nearly got killed when you assholes left that colony."

He stared at Matty, not blinking.

"Whatever happened, she nearly got her control board embedded in her stomach—and she thought she might have been pregnant, too."

The man looked away quickly, staring out the window.

"Well that's a pleasant turn of events," Jaden muttered dryly. "I think we need to change the subject...you ever hear of Peter Larmen?"

"Who?" Matty asked blankly.

"He's an author—we're listening to one of his books. Sit back and relax...you can even go back to sleep if you need to."

"You're so kind," Matty retorted, curling down into his seat.

"Yeah...you know, I remember you saying that being an ass was a consistent character defect. I thought you were just kidding when you said it...but you weren't were you?"

Matty looked back out the window. It was weird to see Qingfu in what he considered the driver's seat and not driving. It was also weird to be on the inside lane facing the traffic going the other direction—only backwards.

So, they were in Europe. The scenery didn't look much like a jungle...and he was pretty sure that a damn lot of Central and South America were...and it definitely didn't look like Africa.

He'd have to keep his eyes open...and as soon as he could manage, he'd find a way to let Heero know where he was.

He just...he had to keep his eyes open.

- -

Jinli was pacing.

Heero watched the man moving back and forth, arms crossed. He didn't think his muscles would ever relax again, and he envied the man his free movement. If he allowed himself to pace, he'd start to run, and he would simply run until he found something. That wasn't a very useful waste of energy.

Why wouldn't Trowa hurry up?

Heero ground his teeth together, pulling his eyes away from Wufei's childhood friend. There was enough similarities between the two that if he was distracted, he'd forget the man wasn't his long-time friend. There was something in Jinli's manner that was similar to Wufei's...and a lot in how they acted.

Hadn't Wufei said they'd trained together?

Heero looked around again, noticing something strange.

He thought he'd seen someone he knew.

It had to be the stress. Heero shifted forward in his seat, and Jinli turned on him instantly, eyes alert.

"You're all strung out, aren't you?" Trowa muttered, moving past the man casually to stop between them. "What are we doing in Bangkok?"

"This is where Jaden flew them to after Hong Kong," Heero explained as Jinli stared at Trowa in disbelief.

"They took a car," Raymond announced, moving near them from the crowd. "I'm not sure what sort of car it was, or where it was going, but they took a car from here."

"So the question then becomes where are they going now," Trowa noted, looking around to Heero. "Hong Kong, Bangkok...where? What would be the next choice?"

"If I had found the pattern, I wouldn't be sitting here waiting for you," Heero snapped back.

"West," Cardle announced, moving in from the other direction. "They headed west."

"Into the old world," Raymond noted sardonically.

"Sanc?" Cardle offered

"Doubtful," Raymond refuted. "But we don't know what they're trying accomplish, so it might be at that."

"Where's your third?" Heero demanded of Trowa.

"On paternal leave," Trowa returned, gesturing at the pair. "This is what I've got, plus Une's permission to utilize any military resource we need."

"Really?" Jinli asked in amazement, looking between the other two men.

"You're not Chang," Cardle noted, actually blinking at him. He turned to Heero. "Why isn't he Chang?"

"Chang is protecting LA," Jinli snapped back, sounding annoyed. "Why would you think I was Chang?"

"You're a hot Asian guy with Yuy and Barton?" Cardle looked around to Raymond.

"That's so not helpful it's funny," Trowa snapped between the men.

Cardle grinned sheepishly at him and shrugged at Jinli.

"Une has a sweetheart crush on Mattox," Trowa added, rolling his eyes. "I think she sees him as the son she could have had or something—though I don't understand why she's fine with Yuy..."

Heero cleared his throat.

"Anyway," Trowa flashed his friend a grin. "She's very concerned about his general well being."

"So what's west?" Heero demanded. "And what resources would help us now?"

"Quatre would help us now," Trowa pointed out. "But for some reason, he's not here...I mean no offense," he added to Jinli. "I'm glad you're here—but Quatre..."

"Can't Brigadier Quatre do the same over the phone as he can in person?" Cardle appealed to Trowa.

"Brigadier what?" Trowa asked blankly.

Cardle's eyes went wide. "Winner," he said quickly. "I said Winner."

Raymond snickered.

"Brigadier Quatre?" Trowa appealed to Heero, then gave him a look. "Why haven't you called him yet?"

- -

Quatre was sitting in the living room of the second apartment with Duo when his phone started ringing. The building had been declared sound do to structural considerations of wartime alteration. It sounded fancy, but it really just meant that the owner'd seen a few buildings get destroyed by something hitting an upper level, and had paid a large sum of money to block-out his building. Each penthouse had been separated from the others, which meant that the old apartment really was something akin to a veranda now...at least until it was rebuilt. The man had absolutely freaked out when he realized how much money they had in equipment in their loft—so at least that had been seen to already. A temporary but weather-proof wall had been built around the thing in one day.

"Yeah?" Quatre asked tiredly.

"Where are they heading?" Heero returned.

"West," Quatre replied, rubbing at the bridge of his nose. "You know I hate it when you just..."

"_Where_ are they heading?" Heero repeated.

Quatre rubbed more at his forehead as a series of impressions crossed his mind. There was a lot of road and daylight in that, but nothing particularly helpful.

"They're heading west in a car," Heero added, sounding tight. "They left here in a car heading west."

The impressions strengthened and changed, shifting from a tense sort of expectation to...

"Myanmar?" Quatre muttered as a headache began throbbing in his temples. "A big coastal city," he added. "The name isn't coming...just..."

"I'm sorry," Heero added quietly. "I know it hurts you to do that...I'm sorry."

"Just get Matty back," Quatre returned, rubbing at his temple as Duo ran a hand through his hair. "I can deal with a few migraines to get him back...the...what is that big city with the water below it?"

Heero was quiet a long moment. "Below it?"

"The impression I got wasn't...it wasn't a destination...it was more a picture on a map...and the water is below and to the right of it. How many really big cities does Myanmar have?"

"The only one that comes to mind is Rangoon," Heero returned. "That's not all that far away from here though."

"I didn't get the impression of speed," Quatre noted. "I got the impression of distance."

"Rangoon is really close," Heero protested. "Like...five hundred miles sort of close."

"Which would make you think that wouldn't be the case," Quatre pointed out. "Which gives them a little more time to get _really_ far away."

"You okay?" Duo muttered, studying Quatre's eyes.

Quatre nodded. "It's not fear of _you_ that I sense, though."

"What?" Heero asked blankly. "They can't think they've..."

"No," Quatre noted, amusement slowly filling him. "It's not you. It's _him_."

As he said the last word, another impression came to him—there was no pain in that, because he had a general sort of awareness of Ranger.

"He's in Hong Kong," Quatre added, grinning wickedly. "If he notices me, I'm sending him somewhere else. Where, do you think?"

Heero started muttering, and a few voices returned...an overall notion started to form as they talked, and Quatre smirked very slightly.

"Russia," Heero said, his words agreeing with what Quatre'd decided himself. "I've seen a few direct flights there...from both Hong Kong and here."

"Where _is_ here?" Quatre demanded.

"Bangkok," Heero sounded slightly surprised. "Hadn't I said that yet?"

Duo started laughing weakly.

"No, you hadn't mentioned," Quatre agreed. "Funny, that."

Heero chuckled. "Okay...so...we're getting a flight to Rangoon, and you're attempting to mislead the fucker I'll kill on sight."

"Heero," Quatre reminded him. "You're in a public place."

"So was President Heero Yuy," Heero returned thoughtfully. "So was Minister Darlian Senior...and any number of other people who were assassinated."

The word from his mouth seemed cold.

Quatre licked his lips.

"I might have to call you like this again," Heero added quietly. "Is there anything I can do to help with the migraines?"

"If I can connect to Matty," he returned, "it won't be such a blind dive. I don't know if I'll be able to do that, it doesn't always work. Who is there with you?"

"Jin, Tro, Cardle, and Raymond."

"Ricci?" Quatre pressed, confused.

"Paternal leave, evidently," the man sounded wry. "Tro got permission for us to utilize any military resource we needed," he chuckled. "He suggested she saw him as a son, but if that was the case, I don't think she'd appreciate knowing..."

"You really don't need to finish that," Quatre noted, leaning against Duo.

Heero started laughing wickedly. "Why not? You do it to Duo."

Duo started laughing.

"I'm hanging up now," Quatre retorted, knowing his cheeks were burning. "Don't call me again."

Heero was laughing as they disconnected, and Quatre gave Duo an embarrassed glare.

"Don't look at me," Duo retorted. "_You_ were the one who got caught leaving the bathroom."

- -

Ranger stared up at the reader-board, torn. There was a flight to Russia that kept catching his attention, but the flight to Bangkok was just as interesting. He couldn't figure out which, and the resources in the area had been confused as to why no one had shown up for them after the initial flight. When the plane had touched down in Hong Kong, they'd been expecting Ranger to hustle the kid into a car waiting at one end of the passenger area, but no one had shown up—at all.

So this had been where he'd cut all ties, but where had he gone?

He narrowed his eyes at the reader-board again, scanning the full list.

There was no way Jaden would have sent the boy off alone...so maybe one of them had wanted to go to one place, and the other...? The Russian flight made a little more sense than the Bangkok one. The Russian one was a lot further away, and it'd be a lot harder to chase someone down _in_ Russia. Also, the Russian airlines had personal planes by the thousands that could be rented. They could go from there to just about anywhere.

Ranger shook his head, moving into the line.

That just left the question of destination—which really made him think of Brazil. But that made absolutely _no_ sense at all. Why go to Hong Kong...to _Asia_, when you wanted to go to South America? That was probably Qingfu and Rab making plans since his suit had been taken. That's what it had to be.

He'd have to keep that in mind, and when it was all said and done and he had the boy, he'd head to Brazil himself.

He just had to be patient.


	9. Chapter 9

**Nine**

Matty rubbed at his eyes, wiping the tears away with a washrag Jaden had left on the railing. It had been casual enough when the man was leaving, but Matty couldn't help but wonder if Jaden had known he'd end up crying.

Being handcuffed to a bed was wonderful.

He'd been awake for the one night, and well into the next day...but Qingfu had stayed with him in a sitting area while Jaden disappeared. He'd shown back up with three tickets, and had asked Matty to cooperate through the checkpoint. Once they'd gone beyond that, they'd all gone to use the bathroom—Matty had wanted to run, but Qingfu was in the way...and the bathroom had been empty.

At least Jaden had apologized for shooting him up with that fucking sedative.

He had _no_ idea where they were. As far as he'd been able to tell, the airport had been in Rangoon, but he couldn't even remember what country that was.

When he'd woken up again, he'd been in that dingy hotel room, handcuffed to the bed. There'd been a bucket next to it, and he'd puked into it. Not even two minutes later, Jaden had entered and cleaned up that mess and let him off the bed. He'd been allowed to shower, Qingfu had gotten them food, and they'd sat there to talk more.

Qingfu had asked for more details about Lu, and Jaden had been asking him about Heero—not details, but their relationship. He'd been disappointed that Heero hadn't taken him to the ocean like they'd talked about on 27, but on hearing that they'd gone to Pandora's and places like it, the man had approved. It'd had been a sort of nice conversation which had degenerated into laughter when Taofa was mentioned. The pair had been impressed about him moving in with the guy, and when he'd noted that they all just got along really well, they'd been pleased. The conversation had gone over all ends of relationships. It had gone from lovers to friends to siblings before Jaden had noted quietly that he had to go do a job so he could get more money.

Qingfu had noted that he had to go find what resources were available in the city, and they'd both left.

Matty rested his hands over his eyes, listening to nothing. Between the two males they had like, fifty audiobooks, and they'd left him alone in the slowly warming silence.

Matty moved his arm to look at the air conditioner, pushing himself up. He could probably move the bed to turn it on. Jaden probably wouldn't be happy about that, but Matty was pretty sure they were in a desert, and it seemed to be going on the heat of the day.

Would it be worth it? If Jaden thought he might try and make a scene to get away, would he be _left_ alone anymore? Did he _want_ to be left alone anymore?

He missed Heero—he wanted to just _sit_ with Heero...those days when they had nothing to do but be together...was _that_ so much to ask for?

The door opened, and Matty wiped at his eyes quickly.

"Hey," Jaden muttered, looking around the room. "Qing's not back yet?"

Matty shook his head.

"He should be soon, then," Jaden reassured him, not meeting his eyes. He was holding something in his hands...and after a moment, Matty realized it was a phone. He blinked at that as the man got closer, then offered the thing over. "You're not one of those people who has to have your phone to remember numbers, are you?"

"No," Matty muttered, blinking up at him and not taking the thing. "Heero pointed out how futile it can be if you don't know the numbers you _need_ to know."

"I know this is hard," Jaden muttered, sitting next to him. "But Ranger wants you...and I really want to kick Ranger in the balls...keeping you...keeping you from him," he glanced at Matty, "wasn't really my intent. I don't know how busy Heero is in LA, I don't know what he has going on or where he is...but just in case, this phone is a little too basic than to be more than located. I'm not keeping it...we'll never use it again...but you can call him, if you want to."

Matty stared at him.

"I'm working on how to stop Ranger so I can get you back to LA," he added, setting the phone on Matty's leg. "I'm pretty sure he's somewhere behind us, but _where_ is something else entirely. As soon as I can get him actually arrested...once your military gets ahold of him, he won't get out. They won't be stupid enough to leave him with moderate security again. So...you call him, and I'm going to turn on the air," he looked around. "Qingfu will be back soon, and we'll probably be leaving then."

Matty nodded, lifting the phone as Jaden smiled slightly at him, then moved away.

That was something, at least..._something_.

- -

"Hello?" Heero asked, not sure what to make of the number on his phone.

"Hey," Matty muttered, sounding happy, but tired. "How are you?"

"Matty?" Heero demanded, jumping up. "Oh my god...where are you?"

"I don't know," Matty returned, sounding on the verge of tears. "They sedated me before we got on the plane."

"Did you get away?" Heero demanded. "Are you..."

"No...Jaden just went into the bathroom."

Heero froze.

"He said that we're throwing this phone away when we leave here...and it's hot outside, but I don't know anymore than that. I'm not even sure what _time_ it is."

"_Can_ you get away?" Heero asked quietly, looking around. "If you can get to a base...any base..."

"No," Matty muttered—there was a sound of metal on metal. "He keeps cuffing me to the beds."

Heero's stomach turned to ice.

"When him and Qingfu are around they don't bother having me locked up...but every time they leave, and usually when one of them leaves, they lock me to the bed."

Heero ran a hand down his face.

"I miss you," Matty muttered, tears in his voice. "How is everyone? Is the apartment okay? I know it was totaled, but the building..."

"We're all...we're all fine," Heero reassured him. "Are we safe to talk?"

"He's pissing," Matty agreed.

"I'm in Rangoon," Heero noted. "That's Myanmar."

"Hey, we were there," Matty perked up slightly. "We drove there."

"Do you know where you went? What direction, I mean?"

"No," Matty muttered. "Jaden left me with Qingfu and bought tickets...I went with them through the checkpoint, but they sedated me before we got to our gate. I don't...remember much after that," he went quiet a moment. "I told you...it's hot here. It's a crappy hotel room, but it has built in A/C."

"So a desert," Heero mused. "Anything else?"

"Qingfu is getting what resources there are...so not really." He eyed the receipt in the trashcan from their dinner, shifting across the bed.

The water started running in the sink, and Matty glanced to the bathroom, noticing that Jaden was watching him when he patted the water off his face.

"So...what have they actually said?" Heero muttered. "Are they ransoming you or what?"

"He says he doesn't want Ranger to get me," Matty returned with a sigh, giving up on trying to see the damn slip of paper. "Qingfu said Ranger's been charged with rape before and Jaden said that when he gets bored he does that shit...the torture shit. That's all they're saying. They're pretty sure Ranger is after us and...I guess they went against Gerrange to do all this.

"Listen to you, all knowing what you're talking about."

Heero narrowed his eyes at Timorre's voice.

"You think they kept me stupid?" Matty retorted. "Unlike you, they trust my judgment."

"And what does your judgment tell you?" Timorre retorted sarcastically. "If what I understand is right, it's for you to give him as many possible clues as you can in ways that I won't understand so he can find where we are."

"Which is why I don't _know_ where we are," Matty retorted.

"Exactly," Timorre agreed. "I knew you were smart. Tell that fucker that if he kills Ranger or gets him arrested, we'll let you go no issues."

"So we can do his dirty work for him," Heero noted sardonically. "Anything else?"

"Not that I can think of," Matty muttered with a sigh. "I believe him, though...if you did...get Ranger arrested."

"I wish it were that easy," Heero noted. "From what we've gathered, Hanager disappeared at Hong Kong."

"He says Hanager disappeared at Hong Kong," Matty muttered.

"So where is _he?_" Jaden muttered.

Heero started to open his mouth to repeat his information.

"L.A.," Matty returned quietly.

"Really?" Jaden sounded surprised. "What's he doing there?"

"Trying to find me," Matty returned, sounding vaguely amused. "GPS navigation or whatever you want to call it."

There was the sound of movement.

"Oh!" Matty protested, sounding hurt.

"I love you," Heero called quickly, hoping the other could hear. "Matty...I love you."

The line cut.

Trowa looked up to him.

"Damn it!" he started to throw his phone, but Jinli caught the piece of equipment before he could let it fly.

"Cairo, of all places," Trowa noted, pushing the laptop to Heero. "The trace went to Cairo. Pre-pay."

Heero swallowed.

"What did he do? What happened?" Jinli muttered, setting the phone down.

Heero laughed a little. "He's...he lied to Jaden," he ran his hands down his face. "It's not a ransom thing, either...and he believes it." He looked up to Trowa again. "Timorre said if we kill or get Hanager into custody, he'll get Matty back to L.A...I honestly think he means it. He's...really...trying to keep Matty from him."

"That doesn't give him the right to drag the guy across...what is that? Six borders? Seven?"

"And sedating him," Heero said quietly, rubbing at his head again. "Shit, I forgot to tell him to focus on Quatre."

"Sedating him?" Trowa demanded as Jinli started to rise.

"He doesn't know they're in Cairo," Heero explained, pulling the laptop the rest of the way to him and clicking into Trowa's browser. "So...how fast can you get Cardle and Raymond back here?"

"I paged them as soon as I realized you were talking to Matty," Trowa returned, studying Heero's face seriously. "As soon as you said his name, I paged them."

The door opened and Raymond moved into the hotel, clapping his hands together. "So, now where?" he asked.

"Cairo," Trowa returned.

"I was going to say that!" the man informed them seriously—he was lying out his ass, but it sounded sincere enough.

Heero smiled slightly at the guy.

"Come on," the guy muttered as Cardle moved into the hotel, looking around. "We're a plane away from Cairo."

"Cairo?" Cardle asked blankly. "That's a little random, isn't it?"

"I'm torn between thinking they're touring and they actually have points," Jinli muttered, moving toward the window with his arms crossed. "Hong Kong and Bangkok are total tourist destinations...but Rangoon isn't all that famous. But then you get to Cairo...and it's Cairo," he looked between them all. "They could have resources there..."

"Well, no," Heero said quietly, thinking back to what all Matty had said. "I guess what they're doing is against Gerrange. That means they've defected. They don't have all those resources—I bet they know where those resources are, though." He drummed his fingers on the tabletop, wondering briefly at the heat that always came when Matty was in danger. Duo _had_ said that was normal. "They'd probably have to avoid those places."

"I wonder if we could use that," Cardle muttered thoughtfully.

"Almost, but you know, so far it's most of the continent of Asia...I'd say ninety-eight percent of it was avoided."

Cardle sighed and dropped into a chair. "I guess."

"How's earth suiting you?" Heero muttered, studying the guy's eyes. He'd ordered their tickets and sent the confirmation codes to their phones. It would only take a moment for that to connect, and then they could go catch their flights.

"Not too bad," Cardle muttered, grinning at him. "Kind of fun to run around like that...it's not like on the colony. The breeze is...fresh."

Heero smiled at that, thinking back to teasing Matty about the air on the colonies.

He didn't think they'd make it to Cairo in time to do anything...but they weren't that far behind.

His phone buzzed, then the others.

They all blinked at him.

"We're going to Cairo, aren't we?" he asked with interest.

"I can't go into Egypt," Trowa noted, a grin splitting his face.

"What?" Heero asked him blankly.

"That's between me and the Egyptian government?" Trowa pouted at him. "You ruined a good line by not asking why not."

"You're so special it hurts me," Heero retorted, rising to his feet. "Let's go."

- -

"We have movement," Quatre noted, studying the screen. "It's a Leo..."

"Wonderful," Duo noted. "I was tired of working on this house anyway."

"You're the one still working," Quatre retorted. "Oh, and the scan confirms. The Leo is the one that you chased already."

"Joyous," Duo noted, pulling away from the wall he'd been leaning against and waving to Reg.

"Yeah?" she called.

"I've gotta run," he noted. "Like...two minutes ago."

She stared at him, moving closer. She'd been pretty dramatic the day he'd told her who he was—but then she'd gotten over it. The news had noted some sort of unconfirmed disturbance at Casto, and she'd been all over where he'd gone.

He didn't wait for her to figure herself out, shedding his vest and hard-hat as he moved. He didn't really _want_ to get in Deathscythe again—he was finding it far too easy to pilot again.

He didn't have time to play around, though. At least the Leos weren't all that powerful, or all that destructive.

Though, if you looked at the apartment, you might not believe that.

It wasn't until he was flying down a sidewalk that he realized he hadn't put his helmet on—that had to look beautiful. Why hadn't the cops stopped him yet?

Duo gunned the engine as soon as the pedestrians had cleared, flying through an intersection in a way that was so highly illegal he nearly caused an accident. He felt bad for that, but he _needed_ to be at the cave.

By the time he turned off the main road toward their hiding place, Wufei came roaring up behind him on his bike. He had his helmet on, and they fell into...stride? The man was just slightly behind him and off to his right. They were enough used to the path they were on that they could take the jumps and dives without hesitation before dropping the bikes to the dirt. He could have saved himself about one second by not having the helmet if the key had come out of the ignition cleanly.

Didn't it figure?

By the time he'd slammed himself into Deathcythe's seat, the alarm light was flashing.

He hit the connect.

"_Finally!_" Quatre gasped, shoving the man who'd been in front of the screen out of the way. "Duo...there's another suit."

"Okay?" Duo asked, turning the machine on. "We were used to two anyway."

"No!" Quatre snapped, moving even closer. "You don't understand!"

"Two suits is two suits," Duo snapped.

"It's Wing _Gundam_, Duo. It's _Wing_."

Duo froze, staring at his lover in absolute disbelief.

"What's going on?" Wufei demanded, connecting their machines as per usual.

"I don't know how," Quatre added, looking almost lost. "I don't know why...but it _is_."

"What?" Wufei demanded irritably. "What's he so worked up about?"

"Another gundam has entered the field," Duo explained, starting the machine moving and turning on the cloak.

"Like...Epyon?" Wufei asked uncertainly.

"Wing," Duo returned.

"That's impossible," Wufei retorted.

"Gundam," Duo noted, looking down to his friend. "It's Wing Gundam."

Wufei stared at him.

"Get your shield started," Duo ordered the man. "This is no time for us to back down. Wing was only a problem when it was Heero at the helm. I don't know how good Demigod is—so you let me take Wing."

"Are you sure?" Wufei demanded.

"You take that Leo _out_, Wufei," Duo ordered, getting the machine ready to fly. "That Leo needs to never enter the field again."

Wufei hesitated the briefest of moments before nodding. "Understood."

- -

Ranger dropped the glass he'd been holding as he focused on the screen, staring at the image of Wing fighting thin-air...of _Rab_ fighting thin air.

"What in the world," a woman asked blankly. "What is that machine doing?"

The bartender turned to look at the screen, then guffawed and turned the volume up. That didn't do Ranger any particular good, though, because the anchor was talking in Russian and he didn't know that language.

What was clear, though, was that Rab was getting the worst of the fight.

What was he doing? Was that Qingfu in the other suit? What was _he_ doing?

The Leo went flying across a couple city blocks to slam into a parking garage as the people around him oohed and cried out. A shadow fell across the machine very briefly...before the head got ripped off.

Ranger gaped.

A moment later, the left arm of the machine flew through the air toward the camera, and the focus changed instantly...to Wing.

He'd regained his feet.

Ranger started to back away from the television before Wing _moved_...pieces started flying from it, though...and something flickered.

So, that cloak of the damn gundam _wasn't_ impervious.

It made him smirk...as Deathscythe flickered into existence, fighting Wing.

Ranger smirked...but the trunk of the Leo went flying...and slammed into Wing.

"Qingfu!" Ranger choked, darting forward to look closer as pieces of the Leo flew and Wing fell forward. "**_No!_**" Ranger turned and _ran_ from the bar.

- -

"No! Nononono**_no!_**" Heero couldn't help shouting at the screen as Wing fell forward.

Wing was destroyed! He'd left it behind because it didn't work anymore! Wing...Wing was gone!

"_Mother_ fucker," Trowa agreed, his voice choked. "This has _got_ to be a joke!"

"You're making a scene," Raymond hissed, trying to pull Trowa away. "Please, Sir..."

"Look at that!" Trowa ordered, forcing the man around to look at the screen—to _look_ at Deathscythe fighting Wing. "Do you think I _care_ if we're making a _**scene!**_"

Raymond mouthed at him.

"This can't be," Heero snarled, backing away from the screen and looking around to Cardle and Jinli. "This _can't_ be!"

"It is," Jinli growled at them, watching the screen. "Maxwell is fighting Wing...just thank your fucking gods it's not Zero," he focused on Heero pointedly.

Heero settled slightly, though his heart was thrumming in his chest.

Wing had been destroyed...how could this _be?_

But then again...Sandrock had been destroyed, hadn't it?

Heero looked up to the screen, covering his mouth with his hand.

"We have to get Matty, and get back," Trowa noted darkly. "We have no other choice. We have to get back."

There was another flicker as Deathscythe's beam-saber whirled around...and Demigod flickered into existence on top of Wing. The Leo Wufei had been fighting before was scrap metal...that machine would take some major work to repair.

Really, Heero admired the _strength_ of Demigod for that...watching the Leo's head come off had been disturbing in a way—but it _was_ just a machine.

"What is that?" Cardle breathed, staring as Demigod rose. "What the hell _is_ that?"

"That's Demigod," Trowa explained easily. "That's the suit piloted by Chang Wufei."

Cardle looked around to Jinli, staring.

"Things just got complicated, didn't they?" Jinli muttered, looking back to the screen and the three fighting suits.

"_Just?_" Trowa demanded of him. "Have you been _with_ us the last few days? _Really?_"

Jinli gave him a very level look.

"It's time to move, Yuy," Trowa noted, looking around. "We don't want to be here when people realize we were gundam pilots...and there's a gundam in full form on screen."

"Right," Heero agreed, turning and starting away at a fast walk, then a trot.

They weren't half a block before they were running.

They seemed to be running out of time.

- -

"What the hell _is_ that?" Jaden demanded, turning on Matty as he pointed at the screen.

"Looks like a mobile suit to me," Matty returned, tearing his eyes from the screen to look at Jaden.

"Don't you lie to me, you littler fucker," Jaden growled, advancing on him.

"Hit me, Jaden," Matty suggested, sitting forward. "Backhand me...sedate me again, tie me to the bed. At this point, it doesn't matter. None of it matters now."

"You say things like that as if _this_ makes a bit of difference," Jaden snapped, gesturing at the screen.

"That machine," Matty pointed at Wing Gundam, enthralled to see it fighting Demigod and Deathscythe both at the same time. "That machine was left in pieces on the battlefield. Heero told me that...and look...there," he pointed at the screen. "The game's done, Jaden. Heero's going to get me. Now."

Jaden narrowed his eyes, moving forward slowly. "He's in LA. You told me he's in LA."

"I also told you that Demigod is a MS, you _told_ me your name, and I couldn't get you added to Pax on my phone."

Jaden drew himself up.

"I don't know if you understand," Matty added in a low voice, leaning forward to stare into the man's eyes. "Yeah, we're in Paris, but Heero was in Rangoon...not L.A.. Yeah, you mean to protect me...but you _stole_ me. I'm here against my will, and that's why this," he yanked at his right wrist, making the cuff rattle against the railing, "is even necessary."

"You could really hurt him," Qingfu protested...but Jaden'd already struck.

Matty's head snapped back, and he let himself fall onto the bed. After a moment, he started laughing, spitting blood so it sprayed across Jaden's shirt.

Jaden dived down at him, his anger getting the better of him...before his chest _throbbed_. Having kicked, Matty pushed himself up and spun, kicking a second time as he yanked at his arm. The railing hadn't been strong to begin with, and the momentum he employed snapped the bar he'd been attached to free.

That was handy.

Matty spun, putting all his energy into his swinging arm and that stick. Duo'd shown him a few interesting tricks, and though he hadn't quite gotten this one down...all he needed was a moment.

Qingfu ducked the swinging thing and moved faster than Matty would have imagined, coming up under the teen before he could recover his footing...and slamming a hand into his stomach.

Matty gagged, utterly winded, his knees giving from under him as he toppled to the floor.

Qingfu laughed, ripping the pole from his hand and flinging it across the room. "This kitty has claws."

Jaden moved, and before Matty could re-gather himself, he was flying across the hotel room and slamming into the table. Jaden was moving again in a deadly graceful way, and Matty scrambled backwards before the man leaned down and pulled him to his feet by his shirt, tossing him back for the bed.

"You're not gone, are you?" Qingfu demanded in a level voice. "You're still here?"

Jaden ignored the questions, leaning in to press Matty to the bed by the throat with his forearm, glaring down into his face. "You _don't_ want to be doing that," he snarled, grabbing the wrist with the cuff and yanking it hard enough that it hurt. Matty cried out...but something slammed over his mouth painfully, and he stared at Jaden as the man slammed the cuffs around the firm part of the railing...and yanked his other arm up.

"Jaden..." Qingfu started.

The man tore Matty's left arm up and slammed the cuff around it before almost _launching_ off the bed at Qingfu.

Matty stared at his wrists in disbelief, looking back up to the railing as the two men snarled at each other, then looked around to the screen to see Wing Gundam fall hard. Deathscythe and Demigod stepped closer to it...but something started happening. Deathscythe raised his scythe, starting to swing...and Wing Gundam transformed into a jet...and lurched away from the two machines.

The two men started tussling, and Matty looked back to his hands, pulling at the cuffs as pain screamed through his shoulders...he pulled again, feeling almost like a child.

"You're going to hurt yourself," Jaden growled, turning back to him.

Matty yanked more, realizing that he was gasping as he did it...yanking even harder.

"Kid..." Jaden started—he sounded remarkably calm.

Matty burst into tears, watching blood drip down his wrists as he pulled, looking out the window at the freedom he _could_ have had if he'd been just a little quicker...his wrists burned, and he started sobbing in earnest, covering his face with his hands as best he could.

Why? **_Why?_** He'd been safe, he _had!_ Ranger had been grabbed, and Heero'd gone to check on him...he'd been _safe_ though!

He realized he'd been shouting when he felt a pinch in his side, looking around to Jaden through tear-blurred eyes.

. . . Why?

"Shh," Jaden muttered, wiping at his eyes. "Shh...it'll be okay, huh? Just relax..."

"I hate you," he whispered—it was hard to say. The words didn't want to come, his mouth didn't want to cooperate with him.

"Shh," Jaden muttered, running his hand through Matty's hair. "Shh..."

Matty did realize, though, that the man wasn't meeting his eyes.

Heero _had_ to find him...he _had_ to...

"Shh..."


	10. Chapter 10

**Ten**

Matty was having a strange dream—and he couldn't decide if it was strange by itself, or if it was because he hadn't had a dream in a long time.

He moved through the apartment, frowning at the sound of the traffic, then stopped at the edge and looked down to the ground. The bricks had been cleared and the room was set up like it had been...it just didn't have any walls or a ceiling. He knew that wasn't possible—the dividing screen had been secured against the outer-wall...and snapped into bits by the attack, but that didn't make the room even out.

He leaned against the screen, looking down at the city, a hand in his pocket.

Quatre was waiting for him.

He pushed away from the view, turning and heading to the entrance to the sleeping area. He took a moment to slide his shoes off, wondering why he bothered. He'd seen the area destroyed, but the carpet was still nice. A chill breeze brushed by him, and he turned to look at the city—it wasn't right. That looked awfully golden-brown for a city.

It didn't matter. He needed to find Quatre really quick, this would only take a minute.

He slid into the second apartment, looking around a moment, then turned into the room Duo and Quatre shared.

Well, if he wasn't there, where was he?

Matty shook his head, turning and heading into the main room...and blinking at the new screen. There was something on it, but he couldn't make heads or tails of it.

"Hey," he muttered, blinking down at the blond—his hair was very blond, despite the fact Matty knew that wasn't true anymore. "You wanted me?"

Quatre raised his head and looked at him, and a wicked grin crossed his face.

"The wind is kind of cold," he noted, rubbing at his arms.

Quatre grinned larger.

"What's going on?" Matty muttered, looking to the screen.

The smile turned feral, and Quatre jumped up, pulling him into a hug. "I found you," he noted quietly. "I want you to wake up now."

"What?" Matty asked blankly.

"I found you," Quatre repeated—his eyes weren't quite focused on Matty though. He almost seemed to be looking through him. "I want you to wake up."

Matty started to demand what the hell that was supposed to mean, but before he could, he was blinking at the back of a seat.

The window was open—it was dark and the air was cold, but the window was open.

He pushed up, looking out the windows. He couldn't see much, just a grimy city...and a sign written in a language he couldn't read. He focused on that, then turned to look out the other window.

"Oh, hey," Qingfu muttered, glancing back at him. "You need to puke?"

"I don't think so," Matty muttered, staring around in confusion. "Where are we?"

"Well...it's not the United States," the man noted. "And it's not Asia."

"You're helpful," Matty retorted, focusing on the next sign that went by. "Can you roll up that window? It's cold."

"Poor baby," Jaden retorted, but he did hit the button. "You sure you don't have to puke?"

"I don't think so," Matty returned, considering his stomach a moment, then looked out the windshield. The city they were in didn't seem all that large, and the plant life he could make out in the darkness was more scrubby looking that bushy. He looked at the next sign, then back to the city.

That had been a really weird dream.

"I seriously have to go to the bathroom," he informed the men, rubbing at his eyes. "And something to drink might be nice."

"You're an asshole," Jaden retorted, but did pass him a water bottle.

"Suck my dick," Matty retorted, agreeing to the maturity.

"At least I'm not a whiney bitch," Jaden retorted.

"Just a begging one," Matty agreed.

Qingfu started snickering.

"At least I don't hit like a bitch."

"Just beg like one?"

Qingfu guffawed.

"You're not arguing right," Jaden protested. "Argue right."

"Oh fine," Matty retorted, shifting back where he sat. "I didn't hit you, dumbass."

"I saw your swing..."

"You can't tell me that shit wasn't cool," Qingfu cut in, amused. "He broke the bed-frame and knocked you on your ass, and if he'd swung for me first I wouldn't have seen it coming."

"I couldn't have swung for you first," Matty retorted. "Jaden was in the way."

"It was like a movie," the man noted, looking back to him in amusement—Matty could tell if the guy was making fun of him, but he didn't really care. "You had like...killer lines and everything."

"Don't tease," Jaden muttered.

Qingfu laughed, the amusement sounding genuine. "Okay...but I'm still impressed."

"Thanks," Matty muttered, sipping from the bottle—if he took a large drink, he _was_ going to puke.

"So," Jaden muttered. "You're an asshole."

Matty grinned slightly, leaning against the window and taking another drink. "You're a dirty old man."

"Are you serious?" Qingfu protested at Jaden. "You're really going to do this stupid shit?"

"At least I don't entice pedophilia," Jaden retorted, ignoring the other.

Matty guffawed. "If you call me a piece of ass, I'm going to kick you in the head."

- -

Quatre smirked as he looked over the original apartment. He was leaning against the edge of the doorway that had once led to their sleeping area. It had taken him a long time, but he'd found Matty—or maybe Matty had found him. It didn't matter, though, because he would be able to find their friend without the migraines now.

So...where he was, it was dark out. That both narrowed and widened the scale, because it was seven in the evening in L.A.

"What are you doing?" Duo muttered, moving down the stairs from the gym.

The company that had been hired had rebuilt the stairs to put up the temporary wall, and they'd also cleaned up the floor. The bricks from the wall were gone, and there were piles of new placed around the room. The lip had been built up around the edge of the apartment, too. Duo'd noted that the owner of the building had promised the men a huge bonus if they could get the work done within one month...and they were making a good start of it.

"Well, I just had a lovely little realization," Quatre explained, looking around to his boyfriend. He kissed him when he came near, then again.

Duo laughed a little. "What are you doing?"

"I found him," Quatre returned, raising himself up to kiss Duo even though he was standing straight. "I _found_ him."

"What?" Duo demanded, pulling back to stare at him. "Where?"

"Africa," Quatre returned, grinning. "They're driving, and I can't tell exactly where...but give me some time, and I should be able to point it out."

Duo's phone was to his ear in an instant, and Quatre leaned in to rest against Duo's chest. He could still feel Matty, and that was a damn relief after a week of not being _able_ to sense him.

It always interested him when someone else attached to him...or when he attached to someone else. He hadn't realized he had become attached to Matty until he couldn't feel him anymore, and that had felt as empty to him as when one of the others was far away and he hadn't expected it.

"He says Africa," Duo said quietly. "Not sure where yet, but Africa."

"We were just in Africa," Heero noted.

"Yes," Duo agreed, "but he said he _found_ Matty."

Heero went silent for a long moment, then, "Tell me."

Quatre took the phone from Duo, turning to lean his back against him. "What I do know is that he can't read the signs," Quatre noted. "And he was cold. I think he was dreaming, because it seemed like he was talking to me, or trying to. I couldn't make sense of it, but it seemed like he was talking to me."

"Okay," Heero muttered quietly. "What else?"

"He was cold," Quatre noted. "He was cold, but it was like wind. When I got him to wake up, he was in a car. From that I was paying attention to him, but he couldn't understand what he was seeing."

"Driving?" Heero asked blankly. "But...where?"

Quatre closed his eyes, reaching for the boy again. He could sense something else, something he hadn't noticed before...the smell of salt water...and he could see the moon.

Quatre smirked.

"What?" Duo muttered. "He's smirking," he added for Heero's benefit.

"From what I can tell," Quatre noted, focusing on the phone again, "they're driving along the ocean, heading southwest."

"In Africa?" Heero repeated. "Southwest in Africa...along the...well, that gives us five or six countries," the man muttered dryly. "Anything else?"

"No," Quatre admitted, frowning. "Not yet. I'll either call or text you when I figure something else out."

"Thank you," Heero sighed. "I'm glad you found him, really."

"You and me both," Quatre reassured him, looking across their apartment again. "I suppose you should just pick one of those five or six countries."

"I wish you could zero in on Jaden," Heero noted tiredly.

"Don't say zero," Quatre shuddered. "Not with Wing Gundam running around."

Heero snorted.

"I'll go see what else I can figure out," he added quietly. "I think it's time for us to start or preemptive measures. I'm going to flush the LA base. Wish me luck?"

"Shit, good luck," Heero agreed. "You're going to need it."

- -

Ranger glared up at the reader board that listed Bangkok flights, feeling his stomach roiling again.

He'd called Rab and demanded if Qingfu was still alive, but Rab had sounded depressed.

That was why Wing had been brought out of storage. They'd intended to hold that machine back, but Rab was alone, and since he was alone, he'd had to figure _something_ out on his own.

So not only had Jaden deserted him, but he'd taken Qingfu along for the ride.

That made an unfortunate amount of sense in retrospect, but it didn't explain why he'd felt so badly that he needed to go to Russia.

So, now he had to start again and hope that the assholes hadn't gotten too far away.

He glared at the listings, noticing something—one of the cities that kept jumping out at him.

Freetown?

Where the hell even _was_ that? Sierra Leone?

Ranger stared at the listing, noting something else. It was the same sort of focus that had taken him to Russia. That place in Russia had been the first place he'd noticed, so what did he want to try instead? Morocco caught his attention, but he was drawn back to that place in Sierra Leone.

No. He wasn't doing that. He wasn't going with his first instinct ever again. He'd spent a week wandering Russia until he came to understand he'd been wrong. So no...the first wasn't the one to follow.

"Marrakech, please," he muttered to the woman with a smile, setting his cards down in front of him. "Next flight out."

- -

Matty yawned as he watched signs passing, not sure what he really thought about the long driving they'd been doing. They hadn't sedated him for any of it, and he was starting to get a clearer notion of where they might be—if only because there'd been a sign they'd passed that said something about Morocco. He'd been thinking really hard of the geography class he'd ignored—he hadn't had much else to do—and from what he could remember, they were either in north Africa...or South France. What was that city? Monte Carlo? That wasn't in Morocco, was it?

He didn't dare ask, though he doubted Jaden would let him call Heero again. Actually, they were both pressing him on what things he _did_ say, and that was really his own fault. He _had_ let them know he'd been lying. It was a stupid thing to do, especially since he hadn't been free.

He watched another sign in the opposite direction, then blinked and looked around in front of them.

A border? Was that a border crossing.

"I will let you call that man of yours if you cooperate with us," Jaden noted, turning to look at him as they slowed. "And if you make a scene people will die."

"That's a wicked thing to say," Matty protested.

"Yes, but I trusted you and you probably fractured my rib, tried to knock Qingfu out with a rail, and you've been lying to us. So, if you don't cooperate with us, people will die."

Matty looked away, feeling his stomach clench.

"That's the only problem with Timorre," Qingfu noted casually, shifting down where he sat. "He's a really big asshole."

"Why did I bring you?" Jaden demanded of the man. "If it was just me and the boy..."

"You'd have lost him when he freaked out, and I'm not going to suggest when he gets your temper riled."

Jaden snorted at him.

"How do you know I wouldn't have been sweetness?" Matty retorted.

"You've _been_ sweetness," Qingfu retorted. "You've been sweetness and fucking light most of the trip. You get little snarls in your frickin' glory now and again...but you had an all out fit, and now you're all put-out because we don't trust you. You _lied_ to us."

"No shit?" Matty snapped. "You _are_ aware that I'm here against my will aren't you?"

"Are you really?" Qingfu gave him an amazed look.

"Shut-up," Jaden snapped to both of them. "Just stop."

"You're expecting me to be a fucking saint," Matty added irritably, "but you keep forgetting the situation. _Yeah_, on 27 I was different. On 27 I was in fucking _danger_ by a psycho..."

"You still _are_," Jaden snapped glaring back at him.

An officer moved up to the car, tapping the window.

Jaden gave Matty a severe look, then rolled down the window.

"Is...there a problem?" the man asked, looking between the three of them.

"I have to pee," Matty retorted. He knew there was no chance of them lying about arguing.

"Oh, can you wait?" the man gave him a concerned look.

"I've been waiting forever," Matty retorted irritably.

"You can hold it," Qingfu snapped back at him. "You know you can."

"We've been in the car for _hours_," Matty retorted, then glared at the officer. "Isn't that child abuse?"

A sort of tension left Jaden's shoulders, and he gave the officer a tight smile.

"I suppose in certain circumstances," the man noted. "But either way, if you get out of your car, we'll have to search you before and after...on this and the other side of the border."

Matty pouted at him, looking away irritably.

"Please, have patience," the man added, specifically to him. "We're actually running very smoothly right now, so you should be on the other side in no time at all. Just have your papers ready."

Qingfu displayed three cards at the man with a tight grin.

The man grinned at him. "You regretting the trip yet?"

"_Yes_," Qingfu agreed, casting an irritated look at Matty.

The guard laughed. "Maybe next time, you fly, huh?"

"How about Nyquil," Qingfu noted. "You have some of that here?"

The man laughed again.

Matty looked away darkly. As _if_ they'd pick up something like that to sedate him.

"All right," the man added, patting the car and starting away. "Patience is a virtue, huh, young man?"

"Try being patient when you have to pee," Matty retorted.

"You make a good point," the guy agreed, backing off even more.

"That was a novel approach," Qingfu muttered as the window closed again.

"It'd take an idiot not to notice we were fighting," Matty retorted.

"You could have told him we kidnapped you," Jaden noted quietly. He had his head turned, but he hadn't moved his body.

"And get him killed?" Matty snapped. "The only thing he did wrong was go to fucking work today...shit," he looked away again. "Don't talk to me."

Jaden glanced sidelong to Qingfu, then focused back on the road.

The silence continued as they went through the process of passing. They'd only be pulled aside if there were suspicions about them, and Matty had no doubts that he _could_ tell these people he'd been abducted, but Qingfu had been in Oz...and he knew first-hand that the people who'd run Oz hadn't given a flying fuck about civilians or other military bureaus. On top of that, he hadn't realized that Jaden had a snap-temper.

He could _say_ he was abducted and start an investigation—maybe even let the others know where he was...but how many of these people would die?

"Welcome to Western Sahara," the man muttered, passing the cards back to Jaden. "We hope you enjoy your stay."

Western Sahara? _Was_ that a country?

Matty grinned tightly at the man, then threw himself against the wall of the car again.

"The bathrooms are right here, right?" Jaden muttered, indicating a small building.

"Yes, and a store," the man agreed, giving them an interested look. "Lots of stuff to buy."

"Thanks," Jaden muttered, pulling off the road.

"Come on," Qingfu muttered, sliding from the car. "You have to at least pretend to go to the bathroom after that fit."

"Don't talk to me," Matty retorted, storming away from the man. He knew he wouldn't get far, but he wasn't trying to escape.

By the time they'd returned to the car, Jaden had disappeared. He sighed heavily, leaning against it.

"Get in," Qingfu said quietly.

"Make me," Matty retorted, glowering at the man.

"Don't throw another fit..."

"I just want to stand up for a minute," Matty retorted, glowering at him with crossed arms. "I didn't think that was asking a miracle after _hours_ in the car."

"You really are a pain in the ass—sometimes I think we should just leave you."

"I like that idea," Matty muttered, perking up.

"Deroy would be overjoyed," the man agreed.

"I'd _hope_ so," Matty retorted. "Max would be amused to see that."

Qingfu glowered at him.

"What are you doing?" Jaden demanded in exasperation as he moved from the store, looking between the pair of them.

"I'm going to run off," Matty explained, not moving. "Ready? Better catch me."

Jaden snorted, pulling a phone from the bag and showing it to him.

"I don't suppose there's a chance of you getting _snacks_ at some point, is there?" Matty demanded, moving forward to grab the package from him. "Like...something little and sweet?"

Qingfu snickered.

"You _are_ Asian," Jaden noted, looking around to him.

"You're both perverts," Matty snapped, starting to mess with the package.

"And you're whiney," Qingfu noted.

Matty tore the plastic apart to display his annoyance, fishing out the phone.

"You listen to him," Jaden ordered Qingfu, looking around briefly. "If he tells that psychotic lover of his where we are, brain him."

Qingfu gave the man a confused look.

"I'll be back," Jaden explained, turning toward the store again. "Want anything?"

"You're kidding," Qingfu protested. "You're really getting snacks because he's a cry baby?"

Jaden gestured that off, and disappeared into the building.

Qingfu snorted.

- -

"Matty?" Heero demanded, his heart flying into his throat. "Omigod...did you escape?"

"No," Matty returned dryly. "I was a good boy for the border crossing so I get a treat."

"Watch it, brat," a male voice noted darkly.

"What?" Heero asked blankly.

"We crossed a border...I'm _not_ saying it," Matty snapped irritably. "And Jaden said if I was good I could call you. We're at the store."

Heero made a noise.

"We've been driving forever," Matty noted irritably.

"I _will_..." the second voice started.

"I'm not _saying_ anything," Matty snapped again. "Geeze, you'd think I was _telling_ you where we are," Matty grumbled. "Both of them are like old women. Reminds me of this old man my dad worked for once."

And that was a hint.

Heero made an amused noise, not sure what to make of it.

"Anyway," he went on. "Jaden is _finally_ picking up some stupid snacks. I hope he gets me those creamy things. What are they? I get them at that frickin' shop by my work..."

And that was another one? That would be good...what shop by his work?

That one on Sahara...the bread store.

"Those cupcake things?" Heero muttered quietly.

"Yeah, those ones...I don't know what they _have_ here, though. I just want some damn raspberry jelly, really."

"You are _so_ whiney," the man snapped.

"_You_ can get whatever you want _whenever_ you want," Matty retorted. "_I_..."

"You're right," the man said quickly. "You're right."

Matty snorted almost derisively, then sighed. "What are you guys doing?"

"We're in Morocco," Heero explained. "Quatre said something to me about you and a dream he'd had."

Matty's heart stopped. "A dream?" he demanded. "Oh...but..." he hesitated again. "I haven't been dreaming much...just daydreams...I miss your..."

"_Do **not**_ start that," Qingfu snapped.

Matty laughed wickedly. "When you run your hands down my body," his voice took on a quality that Heero most definitely considered sexy. "And your mouth is on my throat..." he started laughing hard as the other man started cursing at him.

Heero grinned as well, rubbing at his eyes.

"You take my shirt off real slow like..."

"I'm going to skin your boyfriend," the second voice informed him as Matty laughed hard.

"Those times do end up rather enjoyable," Heero noted, smiling very slightly. "You can't deny that."

"Listen...we mean it. If you get Deroy off the map, we'll get him back to you."

"How about you get him back to me and let _me_ worry about Hanager?" Heero snapped.

"You think that's good enough?" the man asked in disbelief. "Look at what's happening, Yuy. You _had_ him with your worry about Deroy...and what happened? You pretend to be hot shit, but he's _still_ with us, isn't he? Where are you? The brat told us you were in Rangoon already—he's got some fucking balls. He totally tried to break one of Jaden's ribs and nearly brained me with a pole. I don't get how you deal with this shit..."

"He's feisty," Heero retorted, "but when I run my hands..."

"Oh, don't even start that shit," the guy retorted. "Answer me."

"I'm in Rangoon," Heero noted. "Where are you?"

The man started laughing...and ended the call.

"Well?" Trowa asked, looking around the hotel they'd gotten. "I assume he meant that bread store over on West Sahara."

"West Sahara?" Heero asked, looking around. "How quaint."

Trowa focused toward the southwest as well, smiling slightly. "Isn't it just?"

"They were still at the border," Heero noted, his head snapping around to Trowa and Jinli. "We need on a plane _now_. We can intercept them at La Ayoune."

"Or at least close the distance," Jinli agreed, turning and darting into the room he had his stuff piled. "Let's move."

"Hey now, that's my line," Heero retorted, looking around again. "I just had a novel concept."

"We don't have time to play," Trowa retorted.

"Well, Brigadier," Heero retorted, meeting his eyes, "we seem to be about fifteen minutes away from an ESA base with helicopters."

"Hm, interesting notion," Trowa purred, looking around. "I'll tell my pretties to meet us up—you help me pack?"

Heero smiled.

- -

"So where are they at?" Jaden demanded.

"He only said Morocco," Matty returned, resting back where he sat. Jaden had moved up to them right after Qingfu had hung up, and they'd started off again. They'd been driving for probably fifteen minutes, and he didn't feel like lying.

"Are you fucking serious?" Jaden spun around to stare at him.

"What?" Matty asked, moving his hands to blink at him. "What do you mean?"

"_Where_ in Morocco?"

Matty stared at him blankly a moment, then shrugged. "I didn't ask...he just said Morocco."

Jaden spun to glower at Qingfu.

"Don't look at _me_ like that," Qingfu snapped. "I couldn't hear him half the time...and _he_ didn't say anything."

"We are _so_ taking a fucking flight now," Jaden snapped, flooring the gas pedal. "He's _way_ too close."

"He's not who you're trying to keep me from, remember?" Matty retorted.

"If _he_ is that close, then Ranger's probably closer," Jaden snapped back. "And I don't think _he_ can get to us before _Ranger_."

"Don't fucking sedate me again," Matty groaned, dropping back where he sat.

"Oi," Qingfu pointed at a sign indicating an airport. "Next question is where are we going? Rab doesn't have guys over _here_, but you know he does through Mali, Niger, and Chad...and Sudan."

"I know," Jaden snapped. "And shit all over Europe."

"We only went to Paris in Europe," Matty mused. "That's strange."

"I don't _care_ if you give up Rab's fucking network, dumbass," Jaden snapped back. "Remember? We defected?"

"Sorry, can't help but dig for information," Matty retorted.

"How much shit did you give away on 27?" Qingfu snapped, turning to look at him.

Matty considered that a long moment, then shook his head. "Nothing that I'm aware of—just where I was—and that was my phone."

"You were mouthing shit," Jaden reminded him. "On that stupid video they made, you were mouthing shit."

"Yeah...the guy's name who was talking, that it was Rab in charge...that was all."

"You're a little fucker," Qingfu informed him. "How much shit did you give away with that phone call I heard?"

"Your pet-names for me are spoiling me," Matty retorted.

"What _did_ you tell him?" Jaden demanded.

"Not much...just where we are," Matty chuckled slightly. "I hope he's close to the border."

"You know, I really hate you sometimes," Jaden noted as Qingfu studied his face.

"He's lying," Qingfu retorted. "He didn't say _anything_."

"Are you sure? _Really_ sure?" Jaden snapped.

"The most was that he wanted cupcakes," Qingfu retorted, pulling the package out of the bag Jaden had brought. "Oh, and how sweet, it's raspberry," he gave Matty a dirty look.

"_Really?_" Matty demanded, darting forward and taking the box from him. He laughed happily, starting to rip into it.

Qingfu gave Jaden a level look.

"What?" Jaden asked, looking around to Matty with a frown. "What?"

"You know his favorite snack?" Qingfu snapped.

"_What?_" Jaden demanded in disbelief. "What are you talking about? They're just frickin' cupcakes."

"I love these things," Matty noted, happily tearing into the package.

It wasn't his fault Qingfu didn't know that the bakery he was talking about was on West Sahara. The man didn't know LA, and Matty didn't doubt Heero would figure it out—and if he was in Morocco...he'd known they were leaving it, but if he hadn't, Jaden's panic at hearing Heero that close would have clued him off.

"We're taking the first flight," Jaden noted suddenly. "The first one not going somewhere dangerous...we're taking it...and I am _so_ shooting you up happily, you little shit."

Matty sighed, the cupcake no longer so appealing. "I'm so going to puke _on_ you."


	11. Chapter 11

**Eleven**

By the time they made it to the airport in Western Sahara and figured out what flight Jaden had been on, the flight was landing in Freetown of Sierra Leone.

"You okay?" Trowa muttered to Heero, nervous. Most of the time, Heero was full of a nervous energy, or a nervous tension. Watching him fall utterly still as he saw the video clip of Jade supporting Matty across the gate was unnerving.

"I'm going to kill him," Heero whispered back.

"No, that's not a good idea," Trowa muttered, grabbing his arm and looking into his face.

"_You_ say it all the time!" Heero protested, glowering at him. "You say it like nothing!"

"I don't _mean_ it when I say it," Trowa hissed, looking around to make sure no one had overheard them.

"Why do you think I meant it?" Heero retorted irritably, then tensed up again.

"Right...so what are you feeling?" Trowa muttered. It was usually Duo who did this part, it was usually Duo who kept track of Heero's anger and made sure it didn't boil over, or that Heero was making logic decisions that only made sense because he was pissed. He hadn't thought to do it before, but Duo'd asked him what Heero'd been saying to see if he could help.

Duo'd bitched him out for not tracking it, but there wasn't a lot he could do about the time he missed.

Heero considered his hand—his fingers were shaking, but not much else was moving about him at all. "I feel...pissed," he decided quietly, still studying his hand. "But that doesn't matter, because I have a job to do, and I can't let those emotions take me over...but my hands are still shaking."

"Astonishing," Trowa retorted, grabbing his hand. "Can you focus?"

"We're going to Freetown," Heero retorted, blinking up at him and pulling his hand away. "That should be obvious...why is it astonishing my hands are shaking? Don't yours sometimes?"

Trowa stared at him a long time before realizing he was serious.

There was a _reason_ Duo usually handled this.

"I didn't mean it," Trowa reassured him. "I take it as a given, so..."

"So it's just the emotions," Heero looked back to his hands, turning away from the screens and starting to walk.

"Where are you going?" Trowa protested, jogging after him. "What are you doing?"

"We're going to Freetown," Heero retorted, looking up to him in confusion. "What do you mean, where am I going?"

"That's all you wanted?" Trowa gestured back at the screening room as the various officials gave them interested looks.

"You can get what you need," Heero retorted. "I just needed to see where they were going...to find out what aliases they've been using for sure. Are you coming?"

"Right," Trowa muttered, stopping and looking around to Jinli and Cardle. Raymond was staring out the window. "I guess...we're going, then," he muttered, gesturing to the workers so they could finish up what they were doing.

"Thank you," Jinli told the people, nodding respectfully to them. "We have to go now."

"What were you doing?" the man asked. "What else did you need?"

"Um," Jinli looked after the rest of his group. "We've got what we needed."

"But what..." the guy started.

"If they wanted you to know, they'd have told you," Jinli looked around a moment, then turned to catch up.

It wouldn't do to be left behind. It wouldn't do at all.

- -

Duo snarled, throwing his hardhat across the room as his workers turned to look at him in confusion, storming from the house. He knew they were all watching him as he threw his vest away too.

The murmured question of quitting followed him out, and as he slid onto his machine, he heard Reg reassuring the others that he wasn't quitting. They demanded questions of her, but she didn't respond.

Wing needed destroyed for good.

The call from Quatre had been brief and annoyed.

Wing and a Leo on the west side.

By the time they found the machine—which didn't really take all that long, it was attempting to stomp a parking-garage to rubble.

Demigod was moving in before Duo could, and he turned on the Leo, which was starting to skitter away backwards.

He was _so_ done with this bullshit.

- -

Lucretzia sighed as she switched onto the news station, watching as Duo tore the Leo on field to shreds. She was glad she'd been forewarned that the pilots hadn't really destroyed the gundams, because the wildfire that had spread across the entire world at Deathscythe's appearance was still burning...and the fact that it was another gundam was causing confusion.

Everyone knew that the gundam pilots had served together, and most people knew they'd all gotten court martialed...and most of them were very aware of the fact that the pilots had simply disappeared one day.

Seeing two of them fighting had caused confusion until Zechs had irritably explained to several of the nurses that Deathscythe was an ESA registered machine, and the other suits were rebels. Of course, _that_ had sparked rumors all over about the rebels and who they were and what they were doing.

Conspiracy theories set Noin's teeth on edge.

She watched almost dispassionately as Wing tried to change forms...and Deathscythe sliced off the wing.

Well, that disabled it, didn't it?

A helicopter started moving in, and after a brief moment, Deathscythe swung the beam-saber at the machine. She could hear people crying out for that—but what idiot would believe Duo was attacking a civilian craft?

The helicopter avoided that, then another swing...and a ladder dropped out of the thing.

What the hell?

A small black speck appeared and Lu ran a hand through her hair, watching as Deathscythe grabbed for the thing and swatted at the helicopter...and the helicopter rose into the air...with the little black speck on it.

Was this serious? Were they _kidding?_ They were _letting_ the pilot get away? She was going to give Duo a piece of her mind if...he...

. . .

It was on self-destruct.

"_Get_ _out_ _of_ _there!_" She squealed at the screen, the heart monitor speeding up as Zechs came running into the room. "_Duo!_"

Zechs looked around to the screen, staring a brief moment.

"Oh god, no..." Lu whispered, turning to throw herself into his arms as best she could with the tubes and wires.

"It's okay..." he choked. "It's...it's..."

She tried not to sob, waiting to hear the sound—that noise that would indicate the explosion...but...nothing happened.

Someone oohed.

She looked back to the screen, blinking. The scythe was sticking out of Wing's back—strange that. How had it reverted to a body?

"He kicked it," Zechs muttered, starting to laugh. "He kicked it and it fell over...and he stabbed it in the back...what the..."

Lu pressed her hand to her mouth, closing her eyes as Deathscythe swung the weapon up and rested it across the shoulders. He surveyed the area, then focused around on Demigod...as military vehicles started pulling in around their feet. After a minute, Deathscythe made a commanding gesture at the soldiers...and they parted fearfully. She could _see_ the fear, and she wasn't even on earth.

Demigod stepped forward, too, and the pair leaned down and picked up Wing, setting it on the flatbed truck that had been brought up. There was a hesitation in the movement as Deathscythe picked up the piece it had sheared off, and Lu wondered what Duo'd _said_ to Wufei.

Zechs snorted.

"What?"

"I dunno, seemed like a moment where he'd ask if Heero'd be pissed about that—or a comment on how pissed Heero'd have been."

"Heero wouldn't have let that happen," Lu noted in amusement.

Zechs snorted again.

Duo dropped a piece of canvas or something over the machine, then stepped back. A garbled command came from his machine, and people looked up at it. The order came again, and people started moving away from underneath.

The word _dumbass_ was prominent in the next line, and a final solider turned to look up at the machine before darting away.

"Wow," Zechs muttered. "He was an after-war recruit."

The engines on the machine flared up, and Demigod flickered out of existence...then Deathscythe. The camera followed empty air for about a third of a second, then focused back on the soldiers that were tying the canvas sheet over Wing.

"Well," Zechs muttered with a sigh, sitting in his chair. "That's a relief."

"Until they have Marsh in hand," she returned, "then nothing's resolved."

He sighed, looking around the room.

"I shouldn't have moved like that," she noted, feeling the pain starting in her middle. "This _sucks_," she snapped as she forced her body to relax. "This _really_ sucks."

- -

Matty opened his eyes slowly, realizing vaguely that he wasn't locked to the bed for once. After a moment, he realized he wasn't the only one _on_ the bed, either.

He blinked, not understanding why the room was so dark.

"Hey..." Jaden muttered, reaching over and running a hand through his hair. "I was starting to wonder if I hurt you."

"What?" he returned, pulling away from that hand as he realized something.

He could smell beer.

A snore came from a ways behind him, and he raised his head to look around...noticing a dark blob on a trundle bed by the window.

"You feelin' okay?" Jaden muttered, touching his hair again.

"Don't," Matty muttered, pushing himself into a sitting position and swaying. He was glad he'd stopped puking, and had a feeling it had something to do with Jaden getting the right amount of medication into him.

Wonderful thing to be grateful for.

He pushed himself up, noticing a few cans in the windowsill. He looked around to Jaden, who was pushing himself up as well.

"What are you doing?" he snapped.

"What are _you_ doing?" Jaden retorted.

"You sound remarkably _drunk_," Matty informed him, watching him warily as he moved across the room.

"I am," Jaden admitted with a grin. "I'll kick your ass twice as fast now as not...so don't get any ideas."

"Can you stumble straight?" Matty retorted...then stepped back as the man stopped directly in front of him, staring into his eyes. "Okay..." he said carefully, moving back again. "I'm going to the bathroom."

Jaden rolled his eyes and turned his back on him, moving to sit on the bed again.

The room was tiny.

Matty closed the door, studying his reflection in the mirror. He looked like shit if he said so himself.

"You missed it," Jaden noted when he'd finished and moved back into the room. "Rab failed spectacularly for all the world to see."

"What?" Matty asked, sitting in the chair beside the table.

Jaden shifted so his feet were on the floor, looking Matty over thoughtfully. "Rab was flying Wing, right? Well, the pilot of zero-two...Maxwell, isn't it?"

"What do _you_ think?"

"I think you've been in the cockpit," Jaden retorted, "so don't even get all bitchy on me. Rab tried that transforming trick that used to get Yuy away way back when...but Deathscythe cut _something_ off...maybe it's cojones," he grabbed his crotch and started laughing.

Matty pulled his legs up onto the chair, resting his mouth against his knees. There were empty cans on the counter, and if he wasn't mistaken, Qingfu had passed out.

"The machine couldn't finish the transformation or take off," Jaden draped back across the railing again, looking to the screen. The volume was down very low, so low that he couldn't hear it, especially with Jaden moving around. "Rab tried to destruct it...but Deathscythe stuck his saber up its ass or something and nothing happened. The tv showed the military getting it and everything." He groaned in amusement, taking a long drink from the can he was holding...then tilting his head back and tapping the thing before throwing it randomly across the room. It landed loudly, like there were a lot of cans in that spot.

"Why are you drunk?" Matty asked, considering the man's eyes.

"Because we've been thinking about what we're going to do..." he shifted forward again, studying Matty. "Come here...come sit with me," he patted the bed.

"No, I'm comfortable," Matty returned. He didn't think saying he didn't trust Jaden would go over very well.

The man snorted, tilting his head to look Matty over again—it was a considering and weighing sort of look, and it didn't settle his mind very well.

"I want your opinion on something," Jaden noted. "Your honest-to-god opinion."

"All right."

"Do you really think Yuy could keep you safe?"

"The only reason I was in any danger was because you came into the building and kept me behind when we were getting everyone out," he noted. "If you hadn't done that, we would have taken that family and that girl and gone out to Heero."

"You really think so?" the man muttered, rising to his feet slowly. He moved across the room to the table, sitting in the other chair as he pulled a beer out of the box, then tilted it so Matty could get one. "You don't think Ranger would have come after you anyway?"

"If I'd been with Heero," he returned, pushing the box away, "he'd never have gotten close enough to grab me."

The man popped the can open, shifting down in his chair. "I suppose—but I still got you away, even with all of that."

"There were times when I wished I could talk to you after we got away," Matty noted, flopping the binder open that was on the table. The word "Freetown" was embossed in gold on the cover...and the thing was filled with colorful inserts. "There were times when we were in space that I thought if you showed up, I wouldn't tell anyone you had...just to talk to you."

The man took a long drink from his can, sitting back again and looking Matty over.

"And here we are," Matty noted, flipping another page. "You kidnapped me, you keep drugging me...I have no idea where we are...where _Freetown_ is," he flipped the binder so the cover was visible. "And you're asking me if I thought I'd be safe back home...you're _drunk_," he slammed the box so it fell off the table. "God only knows _where_ Heero is now...and you keep looking at me."

"You're a fool if you don't think you're attractive," the guy belched, then took another drink. "Sucks that you have a guy...until I remember how _old_ you are."

Matty snorted at him, flipping another page. "Did Qingfu pass out?"

"Yeah," Jaden laughed studying his can as if he wasn't sure how it got in his hand. "He's a light weight."

"Maybe that's an admirable quality."

"You tellin' me that your _Heero_," he added the roll to the r in the name, "can't hold his liquor? I watched that man _move_. I watched how you moved _to_ him...he's got the confidence of a man who can get anyone he wants. He's _that_ sort of man."

"So what if he is?" Matty demanded, sitting up slightly to glare at him. "Are you trying to imply he'd _cheat_ on me?"

"I don't know your relationship," the man denied instantly, looking around. "I can't say...I don't know."

"I think you need to go to bed," Matty snapped, glaring at the other. "Put that can down and let yourself pass out."

Jaden laughed at that, setting the can on the table. "Come on."

"What?" Matty demanded, sitting back.

"Come on," Jaden retorted. "If I'm passing out, you're getting tied to the bed."

Matty frowned at him.

"I somehow thought that'd be your response," he muttered, taking another drink. He settled back where he was, looking around the room. "I keep thinking," he said, "but I can't think of a damn place to go."

"You can think one thought from start to finish?" Matty demanded skeptically.

"Don't annoy me," Jaden snapped, turning on Matty. "Don't you _dare_ piss me off right now."

Matty receded. That snap-temper he'd noticed before was back, and the man being drunk probably didn't help a thing.

The man _threw_ his can at Matty...he actually _threw_ it.

"Don't be scared of me!" Jaden snapped, rising to his feet. "I'm not asking you to even _like_ me...but _don't_ be scared of me!" He stormed around the table, and Matty tried to scramble backwards—he'd put himself in the corner though, and had nowhere to go.

"_Why_ are you scared of me?" Jaden hissed, slamming him against the wall.

Matty couldn't meet his eyes, not even looking at his face. The grip on his arms hurt, and he had _not_ been aware of how strong the man really _was_...but his feet weren't touching the floor.

Jaden stared down at him a long moment, then lowered him back to the floor, letting him go. After a moment, he stepped back and turned away.

Matty dropped back into the chair, watching the man warily. The worst drunk he'd ever seen was Wufei—and Wufei wasn't scary when he was. He was still _Fian_ when he was drunk...but Jaden wasn't acting like his normal self.

"We have no choice left," Jaden said quietly. "We have to go to Brazil."

"What's in Brazil?" Matty asked quietly, drawing his legs up to his chest again.

"The main base," Jaden said quietly. "Rab's main force."

"_Why?_" Matty demanded, alarm rushing through him. "You said you defected...how does that make _any_ sense at all?"

"Because I can still go there," Jaden turned on him irritably. "Because Qing still has friends there," he gestured at the man. "We can get there and they'll hide us...and enough of them know how Ranger is to keep you safe. Once I know you're safe..."

"I want to be with _Heero_," Matty shouted, his voice breaking. "I don't _care_ if you think Ranger can still get me...I _don't_ care."

"I'm not giving you that choice," the man snarled, leaning down in front of him and using the table to brace himself. "You don't _know_ Deroy. You don't _know_ the shit he does...and he thinks it's _your_ fault."

"I don't _care_," Matty hissed, rubbing at his eyes before the tears could fall. "I don't _**care**_."

"But I do," Jaden returned, pushing away and nearly falling. He used the doorframe of the bathroom to straighten himself, then leaned against it, looking down at him. "You're not...you're too _innocent_ for Deroy to get ahold of you."

"Innocent?" Matty snapped, glaring up at him. "I'm _innocent?_ You don't _**know**_ me, Jaden. You _don't_ know me."

"I know enough," he retorted, focusing across the room. "I know...enough."

"You don't know anything," Matty snapped. "You don't know what I've done...what I've gotten away with..."

"But I know that look in your eyes when you think about Heero," the man met his eyes again. "I know the smile that crosses your face when you think things are funny..._really_ funny. You sit here glaring at me like a petulant child, but you're no fucking child...and this _fucked_ up world hasn't ruined you yet." He looked toward the bathroom—at his own reflection, Matty realized.

"Oz bastards _killed_ my mother," Matty whispered. "Some Oz fuckers _killed_ her...they had a bomb in her hotel and they were after some...some _bureaucrat_...and they didn't care that she was a casualty. Even after the council found them guilty of murder of _twenty-three_ civilians, they didn't say they were sorry, they didn't say they regretted it—they said they had a vision for the world. They said that _they_ wanted to keep _it_ safe."

Jaden focused on him blearily.

"They tried to protect their ideals and they _fucked_ it up."

"I should fuck _you_ up," Jaden muttered, pushing away from the doorframe.

"Do it," Matty spat, glaring up at him. "See how fast Heero will _kill_ you."

Jaden sneered at him and took a shaky step...but it didn't seem intimidating. He moved again...but he wasn't paying attention to Matty at all.

He was going to puke.

Matty started to scramble, not wanting any more beer on him than he already had...but Jaden turned and stumbled into the bathroom...and started to retch.

Matty shoved across his seat, moving around the table to the far side and looking to Qingfu.

Could he run now?

He doubted it...Jaden had gotten off the bed and in his face far too easily. The man hadn't stumbled or even moved slow when he did it, and if he was puking, he'd probably pass out.

Matty pulled the binder to him, flipping it to a map he'd seen and studying the details around it.

If they were both passed out, he could get away—and if he had any luck what-so-ever...there'd been an ESA base in town.

There _had_ to be...didn't there?

The water ran, and Matty pulled the piece of paper from the book, shoving it into his pocket. He flipped the binder to another page, massaging his temples as Jaden moved from the bathroom and looked around to him.

"Come on," the man muttered, starting to move.

"With what you said?" Matty retorted. "You expect me to follow you now?"

"Don't be stupid," Jaden retorted, moving around the table and grabbing his left arm.

Matty hissed and went to pull away, but Jaden didn't care, throwing him at the bed. He scrambled, not sure what was happening...before cold metal snapped onto his wrist...then onto the bed-frame.

"There," Jaden added, dropping onto the bed and glaring at him. "That's all...you're _so_ annoying."

"And you just puked because you're drunk," Matty retorted, glaring at the cuff a moment before looking at Jaden. "You aren't _seriously_ leaving me like this, are you?"

Jaden considered his arm a moment and the angle it was at, then sighed and climbed over the bed. Matty watched him warily as he removed the thing, then snapped it around the side of the post. With Matty's left arm hooked to it, he'd be able to lay on his side, and his arm would be level. It was the normal thing Jaden would do when they went to bed.

The man tucked the key into his left pocket.

Matty watched him move around the bed, then lay on it and cover his face with one arm.

"Why couldn't you work _with_ Heero?" he demanded, laying down in the position he'd found to sleep in before. "You _have_ to know both of you would be better than one of you."

"What am I to Heero?"

"You _were_ the guy keeping me safe," Matty retorted. "Now you're the guy who kidnapped me—and you keep _drugging_ me, so he won't be happy _now_...but you _could_ have worked with him."

"I didn't have the time to approach him," Jaden snapped, moving the arm to glare at him. "Do you honestly think I relished the thought of dragging you through Asia and into Africa? _Really?_"

"You _did_ it," Matty snapped. "Whether or not you thought it would be fun is something else entirely."

The man's hand clapped over his mouth. Matty tried to protest that, but the grip tightened. One handed, he couldn't make the man remove it, so he did the last thing he had available. He bit.

Jaden cursed...and _smacked_ him.

Matty couldn't help the tears, turning away from the man and curling into a ball.

"Matt..." the guy started, moving slightly. "Mattox..."

Matty ignored him.

"You wouldn't shut up," Jaden snapped. "You wouldn't shut up and you _bit_ me."

Matty kept ignoring him, using his arms to shield his face.

The man made a severely annoyed sound, and after a moment the tv flicked off.

That was nice and inconvenient of him, wasn't it?

Matty pressed his eyes closed, debating. He was a little tired, but every other time Jaden had sedated him, he'd woken up for a while before having to sleep for a few hours.

Hopefully, by that time, Qingfu wouldn't have sobered up enough that he'd wake up when Matty moved.

He couldn't _stay_ here anymore. He could _not_.

- -

E/N: hehe, belated as it may be, thanks for the review, Cewo, it made my day...and look, an early update (for me, lol)...but we're going out tonight and i'm not going to have interent access when I go to bed...so yay! More reviews would be appreciated...and yeah. I'm wanderin' this way now ~points to the right and meanders~


	12. Chapter 12

**Twelve**

Heero glared down at the town below him, moving to the airport as the first rays of dawn broke through the sky. If he was right, then Matty would still _be_ here. It had been hard to get things organized between the bases, but he'd figured it out.

Now all he had to do was _find_ them before they could leave again.

He climbed out of the car as Cardle and Jinli followed, looking less than awake.

He didn't really blame them. It was hard to sleep on a military plane.

They could sleep when they got home, and barring that, they could sleep when they were dead—he knew _he_ could _not_ sleep when he knew Matty wasn't safe.

"Coffee?" Jinli asked, looking between them.

Heero made a gesture for him to do that, and the man rolled his eyes before turning and moving away.

It was always refreshing to deal with civilians when he'd been throwing his rank around—at least, the civilians that didn't cow-tow to him for that rank.

He froze utterly when a familiar form moved from the airport entrance, then ran his hand under his shirt to loosen his handgun.

"Sir," Cardle muttered tiredly, "what are you..." he spotted the man as well, yanking his own weapon out. "ESA!" he shouted, moving forward instantly. "Deroy Hanager, put your hands in the air!"

Hanager looked up to him in confusion, then noticed that Heero had his hand gun and snarled. The cup he was holding fell to the ground, and he dove into the crowd behind him.

"Get out of the way!" Cardle shouted, weapon out as he started to run. "ESA! Get out of the way!"

They ran after the man, weapons ready...but he slid into a waiting van and the thing slid out from the waiting area.

Heero didn't stop moving before aiming his gun...and pulling the trigger. The back right tire blew on the van and it skidded out of control as people screamed, and the pair of them darted forward as the vehicle rolled onto his side...

And all hell broke loose as the men inside the machine broke out of it with guns of their own.

- -

Matty scrubbed at his eyes as he looked around the area he was in, then back to the map.

He'd gotten out of the hotel room with no issues at all...but the language barrier was proving an issue.

He'd thought for sure most people knew English, Chinese, _or_ Japanese...he'd never been in any city and not been able to find at least _one_ person who spoke _some_ of that...but then again, he didn't know if anyone here did, because no one would talk to him.

A woman with two children in tow moved down the street as the children chattered, and Matty wondered what the hell they were doing out when dawn had barely broken.

"Excuse me..." he muttered, moving to her quickly.

Her expression turned wary and she stopped, the children stopping behind her.

"Excuse me?" he asked in Chinese.

She muttered something off that he didn't understand.

He ground his teeth together, then showed her the map. "ESA?" he asked instead, spreading it out so she could see it. "Earth Sphere Alliance?"

She gave him an interested look, then studied the map and pointed at a spot.

Matty's heart leapt. "Where are we?" he asked, looking around the area obviously, then indicated the area they were specifically standing.

Her smile broke across her face as she realized he was lost, then she started giggling and dug into her purse. After a moment, she came out with a pen and took the map. With that against the wall, she circled an area and said some random word, indicated him and her children, underlining that a few times, then looked the map over again before circling what was marked as a government building on the map. She considered that a moment longer, then drew a line from where she said they were to the building and offered it back to him.

"Thank you!" he muttered, smiling at her and wanting to hug her. "Thank you, so much!" he smiled again and looked at the map, then around.

She pointed at a road and smiled more at him.

He nodded at her, then turned and started for it, his heart feeling a bit lighter.

Now, if only his luck held.

- -

Jaden opened his eyes tiredly, looking at the ceiling as his stomach seized, rolling off the bed and darting into the bathroom. He heaved a few times, then started brushing his teeth before glancing at the room and Qingfu, who was just pushing up from his bed and looking around blankly.

He spat, turning to look the room over, then moved closer to the bed as he looked around again.

"Where'd he go?" Qingfu asked, groaning slightly. "What'd you do with him?"

Jaden reached into his pocket, his eyes on the end of the cuff still hanging from the post...then saw the key on the nightstand.

"Son of a..." he spat, looking around.

"What?" Qingfu asked, then noticed the key himself. "Shit!" he fell off his bed and scrambling toward the bathroom. "How far do you think he got?"

"I couldn't tell you...but however it ends up, we have to get the _hell_ out of here and _find_ him."

"What the hell...I thought you said you'd wake up if he moved," Qingfu added. "I wouldn't have agreed otherwise."

"I got drunk, Qing," Jaden snapped back, unhooking the cuff and starting to throw stuff in the duffel bag. "I drank more than I thought I would."

Qingfu made an irritated noise. "If you let Ranger _get_ him, and we did all of this for _nothing_..."

"Just get ready!" Jaden snarled, shoving all the cans into the trashcan and looking outside. The sun had already been up for a while...he couldn't believe this.

. . . though really, he had to admire the kid's balls. He almost _wanted_ him to get back to Yuy—Yuy was probably planning on _killing_ the pair of them though...so he really hoped the kid _didn't_ get back to the man.

This could end very very badly...and it would be his fault.

If Ranger got him, it would be _his_ fault.

- -

"We chased Ranger into the town," Heero snarled to Duo, pacing up and down the sidewalk outside the police station. "We're looking for him now, though."

"You found Ranger? That doesn't do much good," Duo muttered, running his hands through his hair as Quatre looked up at him.

Heero laughed coldly. "You're wrong, you know that don't you? On one hand, _getting_ Ranger would be **_getting_** Ranger...on the other, they've _told_ me they'll give Matty back to me if I can get him arrested or kill him...and they're still _here_. I don't think any flights have left yet today at all..."

"Where is here?" Duo muttered, noting that his clock said midnight.

"_Here_," Heero noted, "is Sierra Leone...Freetown."

"Seriously?" Duo looked around blankly. "That's weird...you're in _Africa?_"

"You're so quick," Heero retorted.

"It's midnight here," Duo grumped. "You woke me up."

"Oh," Heero hesitated. "Sorry," he made a noise. "And thank you."

"Thank me?" Duo asked blankly.

"Wing," Heero explained quietly. "Thank you for stopping Wing."

"Oh...yeah," Duo made an amused noise, running a hand through Quatre's dark hair. "How are you feeling?"

"Violent," Heero returned easily. "I want to find Ranger and beat the holy hell out of him again—is it bad that that feels so good?"

"I think it's supposed to be, but I can't find a problem with it."

Heero laughed lightly, looking around. "Looks like the team is ready," he noted. "I'm sorry to wake you up...I'm sorry Quatre."

"Its fine," Quatre noted. "You're that much closer to having Matty back, right?"

"God, I hope so," Heero muttered. "Take care, Duo. Be careful."

"I will be," Duo returned, listening as the phone went to dead air.

"What's going on?" Wufei asked from the door to the room, blinking at the pair of them. "I know that's Heero's ringtone."

"He said he found Ranger," Duo explained. "They all seem to be in...in Freetown...in Sierra Leone."

"Africa?" Wufei demanded. "They're in _Africa?_"

"Don't look at me," Duo muttered in mild amusement, dropping back on the bed. "I can't wait to get the call saying they have him," he muttered, rubbing at his forehead. "I don't think I can take this too much longer."

"At least Jaden's keeping him safe," Quatre muttered quietly. "We have that, at least."

"I guess," Duo agreed.

"I'm so not sleeping," Wufei muttered with a sigh. "Do you care if I grab my blankets?"

Quatre and Duo blinked at him before Duo nodded and he disappeared.

"What?" Quatre asked blankly.

"I don't care if our apartment over there _is_ a knee high wall," Duo noted quietly, "this place is _huge_. Having only the three of us here makes it empty. He hasn't had anyone to bed in a long time, so he's used to not sleeping in a room alone."

Wufei moved back into the room, tossing his blankets and pillow on the floor, then situated himself and sighed heavily.

"Ready?" Duo asked.

"Yeah," Wufei agreed, smiling very slightly at him.

Duo flicked the lamp back off, dropping onto the mattress as Quatre curled into him.

He doubted he'd get much more sleep, because he just knew they were either going to lose everything...or gain everything.

He just had to wait for the call.

- -

Matty wanted to cry as he moved onto the base, darting up to the windows and the man inside the security hut.

"Base is closed until..."

"I'm Mattox Williams," Matty returned, studying the man. "_Please_ tell me you've heard from Brigadier Yuy."

The man stared at him a long moment, then nodded his head. "Can you prove your identity?"

"I could have," Matty returned, "if I'd remembered to grab my wallet before I got shot up with sedatives...stupid oversight, I suppose."

The man gave him a look, then slid a print-reader through the window.

Matty pressed his index finger to the thing firmly, watching as it scanned through information before a green check showed up.

"Holy shit," the man muttered. "Get over here..."

Matty moved into the hut with the guy.

"Get me Brigadier Yuy," the guy ordered into his walkie. "And get me some men down here...Mattox Williams is _on the base_."

The words sounded almost sweet to his ears as the remnants of radio-silence exploded to demands.

The man was shaking his head as he tore a piece of paper from a small machine and crammed it into a plastic sheath, tugging the necklace down around his head and shaking his own. "I cannot believe you just _turned_ up here," he noted.

Soldiers started moving from the building, and Matty felt a moment of panic.

What if they worked for Ranger?

"Mr. Williams?" the man in charge asked, darting forward. "Please, come with us," he moved.

Matty moved into the center of the group at the other soldier's urgings.

"Here," someone muttered, shoving a phone into his hand.

"Matty?" Heero demanded. "_Matty?_"

"I made it to the base," Matty muttered, trying to fight the burst of tears. "I'm _on_ the base."

"We found Ranger," Heero said. "But he got away...into town. I've given orders for you to be taken to a room and not messed with."

"Good," Matty whispered. "Where are you?"

"I'll be there in...in fifteen minutes," Heero returned. "Just fifteen minutes...sit tight, huh?"

Matty felt the tears come again. "All right."

"This way, sir," the man noted, taking the phone from him as they started up the stairs. As they worked further and further into the base, Matty's trepidation grew. A man they'd trusted had shot him up with a sedative when he'd been sure he was okay...and Heero hadn't even been fifteen minutes away then.

"Here," the man added, showing him a room with large windows. "The glass is bullet-proof," he noted. "Someone's brought you food and coffee," he indicated the table, where a coffee pot was perking along happily. "My name is Lieutenant Vond, and I'll stand outside this door until Brigadier Yuy himself orders me to move...all right?"

Matty nodded, looking around the little room again.

Was he safe? Or was this just a prison?

He didn't want to have to _wait_ fifteen minutes.

- -

"Where's Ranger?"

Jaden blinked at the man coming out of the security guard's hut.

"Williams is here...we had to obey Yuy's orders to put him in a room and stay away from him—but he's _here_."

"I don't..."

"Diery?"

Jaden's heart skipped a beat at Ranger's voice.

"I've got cops swarming around this damn town...and I really need something big now."

"Well, Williams is here," the man muttered into a walkie-talkie he was holding. "That should make Yuy pull out."

"Thank god...listen, have you seen..."

"_Yuy_ is **_here?_**" Jaden demanded, looking up to the building. The man missed Ranger asking for him and Qingfu, but only just. "Where?"

"He saw Ranger in town," the man explained. "Ranger's about five minutes away from my best estimate...what do you want to do?"

"Get a helicopter ready," Qingfu ordered, staring up at the base. "Keep it quiet, but get us a helicopter ready."

"Right," the man agreed, moving back toward the hut. "Toit? I got a couple guys here who need your help."

A second man moved from the building itself, a firearm hanging casually around his shoulder.

"They need to get up to Williams," Diery hissed, indicating them. "And then to the helicopter I'm gonna get put down on 5. How much gas you need?"

"We need to get to Brazil," Qingfu noted. "I'll fly it myself, but we have to get that boy _back_ there."

"We can't take one of these," he indicated the base, "all the way _into_ Brazil."

"We just need to touch down and transfer," Qingfu returned, looking between the two men. If Ranger got the words out about he and Jaden, they were as good as dead.

"Go," the man hissed at Toit. "Quietly."

The man turned and led them into the base.

Jaden and Qingfu exchanged a look.

This could go to hell in a hand basket...and to keep Yuy off their backs, they'd _have_ to use the boy. They'd never intended to hold him as a hostage...but the situation had changed that morning.

They _had_ to get away before Ranger got them both killed.

- -

Ranger stared up at the building, hopeful. He wanted that Williams boy, he wanted to see Yuy's face when he realized he had his precious little piece of ass...and it would be damn easy to get a plane to Brazil.

Now the only thing stopping him was that he didn't know where Jaden or Qingfu were—and that still rankled.

He'd thought Qingfu was a friend.

He stopped at the gate, looking to the man with interest.

"Ranger," the guy hissed, looking around. "Yuy's going to be here any minute now! Hurry up to five," he pointed across the lot. "Timorre's getting the boy and they're going from there."

"_Timorre?_" Ranger shouted at him in disbelief. "You let _Timorre_ at him? You _idiot!_"

"What?" the man gave him a confused look. "It's _Timorre_, Ranger...don't be bitchy because you want the glory."

"Timorre took the boy so _I_ couldn't take him," Ranger snarled at him, slamming the back of his head so his face slammed into the counter, then turned and ran to the area the helicopter was already set up.

- -

Heero moved through the gates of the base, noticing the security guard was massaging his forehead, then seeing a helicopter on top of the building.

_Damn_ Ranger.

**_Damn_** him!

Heero slammed the car to a stop in a way that jerked Jinli forward hard. Cardle was already out of the car before it'd stopped, and Jinli was only a moment behind when they both broke into the building.

"They'll be heading for that helicopter!" Cardle shouted as a second car slammed into the first behind them. They all glanced back to see Trowa sliding from the machine with Raymond. "You go for the helicopter, and I'll try to stop him on the way!"

Heero turned and ran as Trowa pelted after him.

"_Ranger!_" Heero shouted, jumping up the fence. He wasn't entirely sure how he got over the barbed wire, but Ranger wasn't all that far ahead of him.

"I'll _kill_ him!" Trowa lunged, ripping his shirt in the process, and they both pelted after the man that had caused them _so_ much trouble.

- -

"No!" Matty kicked helplessly at Jaden, staring at the man who had actually tried to protect him. They'd come on him too fast for him to draw his weapon—but at least they hadn't shot him. "No!" he tried to fight free, but nothing came of it as they broke out the doors.

Matty let his weight go entirely, and Jaden stumbled, cursing.

"I'm going!" Qingfu snarled, and darted forward.

Matty cried out in pain as the man pinched the back of his leg, then started moving again.

"Matty!"

Matty looked up, seeing Jinli. Hope blossomed in his chest as he saw Cardle a moment later...and Raymond.

That meant Trowa and Heero were here.

He fought harder until the pain came again, then they were going up.

He looked over his shoulder, seeing a helicopter with the blades starting to whirl, then looked to his right as motion caught his attention.

Ranger.

The moment of terror was chased by hope as he saw Heero and Trowa, sprinting after the other man like hunting lions, intent, faces set in sneers of hatred.

Just as long as he didn't get on the helicopter....

Jaden broke through off the stairs and jumped as the helicopter started to fly, and Matty saw Trowa slam into Ranger's body as Heero locked eyes on his.

The machine started rising as Jinli and Cardle shouted after him, and Jaden let him fall onto the floor of the machine gasping for air.

Matty had to trust Heero...they were still above the flight pad...

He rolled, feeling Jaden grab for him, saw the horror on his face as he shouted after him...and he started to fall.

He slammed into another body as the helicopter hesitated the briefest of moments, then saw Heero's gun raising up beside him, curling down into Heero's arms as the man pulled the trigger.

The sound was deafening, but it pinged, and he looked up...seeing Jaden staring back at him with wide eyes.

He was uninjured...he hadn't been hurt by that shot...had he?

"Hit the fucking runner," Heero snarled.

Matty turned, his chest screaming as he looked up into Heero's face.

"I didn't think we'd make it!" Jinli gasped. "Oh my god...are you okay? Matty?"

None of that mattered, though, because he was _with_ Heero...he hurt like hell, but...

"Trowa!" he gasped, trying to struggle away from Heero. "Trowa and..."

There was a gunshot, then another...and a third.

Heero rolled, Matty still in his arm, and moved to the edge of the platform...to see Ranger pinned to the ground with blood all over his leg. Soldiers were coming up from...everywhere...it seemed like...and after a moment, Trowa stepped back, looking up to see Heero...and Matty.

He smiled.

He had blood all over his face, coming from his hair...his shirt was torn to shreds and he was standing gingerly...but he smiled.

Matty smiled back at him, feeling a sensation of relief floating through him as he turned to look after that helicopter.

He hoped they made it to Brazil and found their friends—things weren't over yet, and he had no doubts Heero would be highly willing to _kill_ them next time he saw them...and even though Jaden had kidnapped him and put him through hell...he _had_ been doing it to keep him safe.

"Hey," Heero muttered.

Matty looked back to him...and met the kiss eagerly...before groaning and trying to shove the other's arms away.

"He just fell like...twenty stupid feet onto you," Jinli noted dryly. "I have a sneaking suspicion he may have fractured a few _bones_."

Heero started laughing weakly.

"Oh, I know I probably shouldn't have been the one to call," Cardle noted, looking to the blue sky. "But I wanted to hear your sexy voice."

"What?" Duo demanded as they turned to look at him.

Matty snickered and took the phone from him. "Me'n Cardle wanted to hear your sexy sultry voluptuous voice, War...is there something wrong with that?"

Duo started laughing weakly, then harder.

"Hello?" Quatre demanded.

"Mm, poppi," Matty returned. "I miss you all night long, baby..."

Heero and Quatre both started laughing.

"Hello?" Wufei demanded.

"Hey, big daddy," Matty returned, starting to laugh even though it hurt. "I'm safe," he added in a more normal tone. "I'm with Heero...my ribs are screaming at me, but I'm with Heero."

"And Ranger?" Wufei demanded. "What about Timorre?"

"Well," Matty looked across the wide expanse around him...the bit of city and the ocean. "Jaden and Qingfu got away in a 'copter—almost had me. I decided to take a leap of faith, though."

"You jumped out of a moving helicopter?" Wufei demanded, his tone serious. "And you're _not_ dead?"

"I don't think I am," Matty returned, leaning against Heero. "My ribs are arguing the fine-points though."

Wufei started laughing weakly.

"Sir?" a soldier moved to the stairs, saluting Heero. "What are your orders, sir?"

"_That_ piece of shit," he indicated Ranger, "is to be shipped to 27 on the next flight out of here."

"Oh, so we're going to 27 again, are we?" Cardle asked brightly. "I must say I didn't want to."

"Maybe we shouldn't," Matty suggested, looking around to Heero. "Jaden said the main base is in Brazil."

"Brazil?" Jinli demanded, staring at him. "As in that really _big_ continent sunk under eighty feet of jungle?"

"I'm not so sure about your measurements," Matty noted. "But it was something along those lines."

"Wonderful," Heero noted, popping his neck. "Hey, Trowa?" he called. "Wasn't there something in South America that caught your interest?"

Trowa cocked his head as he moved up the stairs, looking to Matty. "I can't say that there is...not that I can...think of."

"Mm, but I thought there was this _base_...this base _full_ of rebels over there."

Trowa stared at him, a wicked grin slowly spreading across his face. "Oh, now that you mention it, I do seem to recall something of interest over there."

"Under eighty feet of jungle," Jinli noted dryly to no one in particular.

Matty moved from Heero to Trowa, hugging him tightly.

"How do _you_ measure jungles?" Trowa muttered, realizing that Matty was wincing in pain and loosing his hug. "I think I want to know your formula, it sounds interesting."

Jinli gave him a look.

Trowa looked down to Matty, then tilted his head. "If you ever jump out of a moving helicopter again, I'm going to _kick_ your ass, you understand that, don't you?"

Matty started laughing weakly as he was taken back by Heero.

"I thought I was going to have a heart attack..." he raised his phone to his ear. "Why isn't Duo answering?" he added.

"Oh, shit," Matty raised the phone again. "Hello?"

"If it's not too big an inconvenience," Duo muttered sardonically, "can you tell me what the hell is going on? I know you're busy, what with Heero groping you and all, but..."

Matty guffawed at that.

"Just for that," Heero noted happily, plucking the phone from Matty's hand. "Suck my dick."

"Any day!" Matty heard Duo retort...and Heero ended the call.

Matty started snickering.

"So," the officer near them muttered. "What are we doing?"

"We need transport back to North America," Heero returned easily. "To LA, specifically."

"Yes, sir," the man muttered, then turned and darted down the stairs again.

"Raymond?" Trowa muttered, "you ready to go home yet?"

"I think I am," Raymond agreed, looking around. "At least long enough to spend the night with my woman."

"I'll sub," Cardle noted, then smacked his hands to his mouth.

Matty started laughing again, then groaned as the tears dripped down his cheeks. "Don't make me _laugh_, Cardle...it _hurts_ to laugh."


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Okay, this was a 2 chapter update...I looked at the hit count and a lot of people missed 12. 12 has all the main action that leads up to this, and if you missed it, you miss some main points. Check it out if you haven't.

- -

**Epilogue**

"Keep it quiet," Harpid snapped, looking around the area in dismay. "We need to get it out of here before anyone realizes we were in here at all. They're only going to take _so_ long before they realize the camera is down."

"You're so helpful..."

Harpid gave the man a look, wanting nothing more than to get Wing and get to Brazil. Rab would be happy as long as they had the machine back—and would forgive him for giving up. It'd probably been best for him to lay low with Winner running around anyway. Having left them gave him nothing to hide—he'd heard space-hearts could do that, tell when someone was hiding something.

He'd have to utilize that in his arguments.

"There," the other man hissed. "Let's get the fuck out of here."

"Right," Harpid agreed, securing the generator as best he could at the back of the cab. He looked up to Wing, then nodded once and clicked the button on. He was almost disappointed it didn't change anything visually, he wouldn't know if the thing worked until it was too late...but he had to try.

He slid into the cab as the man started the button that opened the garage doors.

It was close to dawn—with any luck, they'd be away from the base before anyone even realized what they were doing.

- -

Rab heaved into the toilet again, dropping over against the tub when he'd quit. It was all he could do to flush, and his world still swam as he stared up at the ceiling.

There was nothing left but to go to Brazil. He'd lost Wing, the Leos he'd had brought up...and the only soldier in the area that could use an MS was in ESA custody.

At least he had a helicopter.

He leaned over and heaved into the toilet, gagging and spitting.

"Rab?" Dardin muttered, moving into the bathroom. "Are you gonna be all right?"

All right?

Rab stared back at the man, wishing he had another drink at hand. Ranger had taken off on some quest to find Jaden, who'd evidently defected by grabbing the Williams boy...and taken Qingfu with him. His three most reliable men were _god_ knew where doing _god_ knew what with some little teenage _**toy**_...and all it had served to do was remove _his_ pilots. Sure, Yuy was off chasing after the boy and Barton hadn't been seen, but Winner had taken over control of the base, and no one but bloody Maxwell would fly zero-two like that—no one but bloody Maxwell would have been able to stop Wing self-destructing...and this idiot was asking if he was all right?

"Come on," the man muttered, moving down to scoop him off the floor. "You need to pass out."

"Fuck you," Rab snapped, yanking away from him and stumbling against the counter. He pretended he hadn't nearly fallen over and tried to lean down to rinse his mouth out.

"Come on, Rab," the guy muttered soothingly, moving up behind him and supporting him. "Finish...and then crash."

Rabid stared at his own reflection a long moment, but couldn't find the will to fight when the man tugged him away from the sink. The world was spinning by the time he fell on a bed, and after a moment he was covered.

It would be so much easier if he were just _dead_.

Rab closed his eyes, though that didn't change the spinning, curling up more where he lay.

His last thought before sinking into oblivion was that Jaden wouldn't have let him drink that much...and Ranger would have been long-since passed out himself.

Why had they left him? They'd left him alone...they'd all abandoned him...

Darkness came.

- -

"I can see you understand me," Ranger hissed, studying Raymond's face sincerely. "I can see in your eyes you know _exactly_ where I'm comin' from."

Raymond met his eyes, studying them seriously, then looked around. "Where are the keys?"

Ranger felt a flush of...almost joy as he studied the man's face, looking around himself. "I thought you had them...not that other."

"Shit," the man shifted around to be squatting in front of Ranger, digging at his key ring before stopping as if he had a thought.

"What?" Ranger asked, blinking slightly at him. "Tell me later...un-cuff me and let's get out of here."

"I just remembered something," the man noted, studying Ranger seriously.

"What?" Ranger asked, extending his hands again. "Tell me later..."

"No...but...you're a bad guy."

Ranger froze, noting a brief moment of amusement in the man's eyes.

The man snickered, then jumped backwards as Ranger tried to kick him.

The other man—the one who'd wandered off—started laughing as he moved back into the area. "You _are_ a dick," he noted, hands in his pocket. "You understand that he'll be reprimanded for that, don't you?" he added to Ranger.

Ranger glared up at him.

"You hear him, though?" Raymond asked in amusement, moving to a cupboard. "He _means_ what he's saying—he really does think shit's all out of line." He pulled a vial down...then a syringe and an alcohol wipe from other little bins.

"Obviously _something_ didn't play out how the ESA thought," the blond noted, leaning against the wall as Raymond pocketed the wipes. "They swept through the rest of L-5 and only found like...three guys that were with them," he indicated Ranger. "But they had access to all sorts of nifty things."

Three? Ranger had only been aware of _two_ guys left in L-5. There were six in the L-4 cluster, and probably five in the L-2...

"You heard Mattox," Raymond noted thoughtfully, tucking the syringe and vial into his pocket. "He said there's some base in Peru."

Ranger let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, looking innocently away from the two men.

"I thought he said Bolivia," the other man argued. "Or was it Paraguay?"

Ranger glowered at the man, looking away as something about their words struck him as a lie.

"Ooh! Colombia!" Raymond bounced. "Venezuela! Guyana! Suriname!"

The blond started laughing. "Oh! That's right! _Brazil!_"

"You two are both fuckers," Ranger spat, glaring between them. "What were you stealing just there," he indicated the cupboard.

"This?" the man pulled the vial out happily and bounced over so Ranger could read the name on the bottle. "It's a sedative—it's so I can sedate our prisoners if they become too...argumentative."

Ranger subsided, looking away.

The man laughed a little bit, looking around to the blond again. "Uruguay and Argentina both hit Brazil, you realize that don't you?"

"You started chirping out the little ones on top and I didn't get a chance," the man retorted. "Anyway, _you_ missed French Guiana." He looked back to Ranger. "How were you expecting to get off this ship?"

Ranger gave him a sour look and slouched back where he sat.

He almost wished the man _had_ sedated him, he was done trying to _think_.

- -

"Hey...Matty."

Matty opened his eyes, thinking for a moment that he was dreaming as Heero smiled at him. "We're landing, come on."

Matty sat up as the woman came down the aisle, making sure seat backs were up. She paused as he straightened his, then moved on.

He had to smile himself as he looked back to Heero. It has happened each time they'd switched planes. It was surreal to wake up and be with Heero, not chained to a bed or in a car.

It hurt his chest when they touched down, and the cessation of motion as they moved along the runway added pressure. Matty gritted his teeth as best he could, then blinked as Heero's hand engulfed his.

He gasped for air when the pressure released, and looked around to Heero. He had fractured three of his ribs from the fall—and he'd had to see a chiropractor to straighten out his spine. He'd taken a few muscle relaxers, which was why he couldn't stay awake...and he hated the sleep while they were traveling. It felt too much like Jaden yanking him from city to city...but that _was_ L.A.

Whatever the officer at the Freetown base had done had gotten them more than first-class tickets.

"Brigadier?" a stewardess asked, moving up to their row and smiling. "As soon as you clear the way, we'll start offloading the other passengers."

Irritated muttering flickered through the back of the plane, and Matty started the process of standing.

He felt...slow...and heavy.

"Today, junior," Jinli muttered happily.

"Please..." the woman started.

"Junior my ass," Matty retorted as Jinli pressed passed the woman. She looked about to draw blood until she realized Matty was clinging to Jinli's arm. It took a long moment for him to help the younger man from the row of seats, and then he settled back to let Heero pass.

"Thanks," Heero muttered, smiling at him.

Matty moved forward, knowing very well that it was his injuries that had set the conditions of their flight. The Freetown base medic had seemed about to have a breakdown when Matty had explained what happened to him, and the chiropractor, actually.

"Thanks for flying with us," a woman at the entrance muttered, beaming at him.

He flashed her a grin, but didn't stop moving. He hadn't thought the fall would have hindered him that much, but he supposed he _had_ jumped from a moving helicopter.

"Oh my god! Matty!"

Matty's head shot up as Lifon flew into his arms, crying as she squeezed him tightly...then freaked out with apologies when she realized it had hurt him.

Heero moved forward, shaking hands with Taofa before Lifon threw herself at _him_.

"Hey, dad," Matty muttered, hugging the man gingerly. He was grateful when that hug didn't hurt—his father had on occasion hugged him tight enough that his ribs were sore for a few hours...

"What the hell are you doing getting abducted?" the man demanded, not letting him go. The question was more soft and amused than anything. "What the _hell_ are you doing getting drug off to China...and Thailand...and Myanmar...who gets kidnapped and taken to Myanmar...and Cairo?" the man pulled back to look at him. "Did you at least get _pictures?_"

Matty started laughing weakly, letting the man take his weight. The sense of safety and comfort he felt was pleasant with Heero...but this was his _dad_. It felt _right_...

"Shh," Taofa muttered when he started to cry, holding him closer. "I think that _boyfriend_ of yours," he muttered that wryly to Heero, "forgets you really _are_ only nineteen."

"I can only do so much," Heero protested, still holding Lifon. "And I try."

"I think I'm more relieved than anything," Taofa muttered, resting his cheek against Matty's head. "Even with you stealing him away from me...he's still my son."

"I am not _stealing_ him from you," Heero retorted. "And I _wish_ I had a father like you."

Taofa grinned at that, then raised his eyebrow at his daughter. "You taking her, too?"

"Our apartment's big enough," Heero retorted dryly.

"Can I?" Lifon turned excitedly to Taofa. "Really?"

"No," Matty and Taofa returned in almost identical tones.

Heero started sniggering.

"You done going on adventures yet, jackass?" Wufei demanded, moving from behind. He had a mark of blue paint on his left temple—which was when Matty realized there were several soldiers standing around. For some reason, all of them had the blue mark on their temple...like someone had paint on their finger and had touched them. Their eyes were everywhere, watching the crowd around them.

"As if I _wanted_ to go on one this time," Matty retorted, studying him.

"What's with the war-paint?" Heero asked, looking around was well.

"A couple of the soldiers who've been working with Quatre decided they like his eyes," Wufei returned dryly.

Matty started snickering, pulling carefully away from his father.

"You look like shit," Wufei informed him happily, looking him over. "Good job."

Matty laughed, moving to hug him, then spotting Quatre talking to a few soldiers and gesticulating wildly. Duo was standing behind him, a wicked grin on his face—and he turned it slightly so Matty could see the blue mark.

"Yeah," Wufei muttered, watching the dark-haired male. "Me'n Duo decided his eyes were pretty enough...and he doesn't seem to appreciate it."

Matty laughed a little harder, then groaned as his ribs ached and hit Wufei in the chest.

"Ouch! Do it again," Wufei muttered, then laughed and darted out of immediate reach as soldiers turned to look at them. He ducked behind Jinli, who turned and started bickering happily with him.

"Can you _believe_ this?" Quatre demanded of Heero, storming up to them and putting his hands on his hips. "It's not bad enough _they_ all did it," he indicated the soldiers with his head, "but _these_ two..." he gestured at Duo and Wufei.

"Hey, Matty," Duo muttered, moving forward to hug him. "You good?"

"I'm so good you wouldn't believe it," Matty retorted.

Duo smirked at him.

"Who has the paint?" Heero muttered, looking around.

"The guy Quatre was just yelling at," Wufei returned as Jinli shook hands with Duo.

Heero nodded, starting to move around the group with Trowa on his heels. Jin was a moment behind.

"_Are_ you okay? Really?" Quatre didn't notice the exchange between Heero and Wufei. He moved to give Matty a careful hug. "What the hell you doing jumping out of helicopters, anyway?"

"I didn't jump, I fell," Matty retorted.

"You did it on purpose didn't you?" Quatre demanded.

"Well, I _wasn't_ going to Brazil," Matty retorted, looking around to his father. "I was out of film."

The man started laughing.

"So you willingly _jumped_ from the helicopter," Quatre informed him.

"You're awfully cross," Matty retorted.

"I have to deal with..." he gestured toward the men...then spotted Heero and Trowa with the blue mark on their temple and Jinli receiving it. "No!" he protested, turning on them. "_Stop_ doing that!"

Matty started laughing weakly again.

"I want one," Lifon whispered, moving up to Matty's side. "I like that mark...I think it looks...neat."

"You just think the soldiers are hot," he retorted, giving her a look.

"Don't you?" she demanded.

Matty looked around to Heero, considering that.

She started giggling.

"So..." Wufei muttered, looking up to Taofa. "The two of you are coming with us to supper, right?"

"I'd hope so," the man retorted. "Because my son is eating with me, no matter _what_ he thinks."

Matty gave him a look, moving across to stand beside Quatre and meet the man's eyes who had the paint.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Brigadier," the man said easily, squeezing a bit of paint onto his finger. "There's no blue paint anywhere." He reached over, and touched Matty's temple with it...then noted Lifon and eyed her in something that looked like suspicion, but was far too amused. "Do you know what he's talking about, Williams?" He ran his finger across Lifon's temple as she absolutely bubbled and beamed up at him.

"All I know," Matty retorted, "is that my sister is sixteen, and you _better_ not charm her."

"I'm not doing anything," the man noted, looking away from her to grin wickedly at him. "Absolutely nothing."

"Just like there's no paint," he agreed dryly.

The man laughed, then marked Taofa's face as the man tried to dodge backwards. "Exactly."

Quatre sighed, realizing the futility...then blinked as his phone started ringing. "Hello?" he muttered...and all pleasure dropped from his expression. He stepped back as he listened, then closed his eyes.

"What?" Heero asked, blinking at him. "What happened?"

"Wing is gone," Quatre returned, looking back to Heero as he closed his phone. "Soldiers who should have been going to bed didn't show up—a bunch of them by the back gate. When men were sent to check on them...most of them were badly wounded and knocked out. When they checked the cameras, they were disabled...and Wing is no longer in the garage."

Heero stared at him.

"It's going to take...time...for them...to fix it," he added, closing his eyes. "But...I think by this point they have it."

Matty turned into Heero's arms, pulling _him_ into a hug. He could tell the man needed it, even if his friends didn't seem to notice.

No, things definitely weren't over...but the question then became 'what happens next?'

At least they had Ranger in custody on 25...and 25 had been swept clean.

"Jaden said that they have resources in...Mali...and Niger...and..." he closed his eyes. "And Chad, and Sudan...he said they didn't have any in Western Sahara...and I got the impression there weren't any in Morocco, too...and they didn't want to go any further south than we were."

"Do you know why they picked Sierra Leone?" Heero asked seriously, studying him. "Can you tell us anymore?"

"I'll write anything down I think of," Matty reassured him, looking around to his sister and smiling slightly. He focused back on Heero. "Can we go home now? How's the apartment?"

"The main structure was sound," Duo returned, running a hand through his hair as he thought. "During the wars a lot of buildings were built to be almost independently structured. Or at the very least, it's a matrix of support so one wall falling won't cause the whole thing to collapse—that's how our apartment was done, so none of the lower ones were more than shaken up."

"We need to get you a phone," Heero noted, looking around.

"I think we can afford the same one you had," Taofa noted, pulling out his wallet. "We got that one on sale, though, huh?"

"We can get it," Heero informed the man almost pointedly. "No problems."

"We don't expect you to..."

"_I_ can buy my _own_ damn phone," Matty retorted, glowering between the two men.

Taofa gave him a look.

"We can...buy me a new one," Lifon muttered, grinning at her father.

"_You_ don't need a new one," Taofa retorted.

Li made a face, looking to Matty...who stuck his tongue out at her.

Taofa gave him a very level look.

"I really want to go lay in my room," Matty noted, pretending not to see that as he studied the soldiers. They were there to keep him safe, he was pretty sure about that. He smiled slightly, feeling grateful, then looked around to Heero. "Can we go...just take a nap?"

"I guess...I'll come over...tonight," Taofa muttered quietly.

"I don't want to go home," Li muttered, moving forward and grabbing Matty's arm, staring up into his eyes.

Matty could see his mother in that expression, and he sighed, looking around to Heero.

"I didn't want get laid anyway," the man muttered wryly.

Matty kicked his shin.

"You are _so_ abusive!" Heero protested, bouncing back a few steps and rubbing at his shin.

Matty snickered, looking to Li a moment, then indicated the exit with his head. They all started moving at once then, and Taofa sighed heavily.

"Come over to the apartment," Heero offered. "You can look at the old one with me and we can chat a while."

Trowa muttered something in Spanish that made Heero snicker and turn to smack him.

"What?" Taofa demanded, looking to Matty skeptically.

"I have a feeling that if we _did_ know, we'd have to kick Trowa's ass."

Trowa laughed, then stopped and looked around.

"What?" Heero asked, looking back to him curiously.

"Where is Tim?"

"Ooh," Wufei muttered, flinching slightly. "I didn't even _think_ to call him. He's been showing up at our house before work each day, too."

Trowa gave him an exasperated look, then looked around. "I'll go...go in and find him," he decided, looking around to Taofa. "Can I bum a ride?"

"If you buy me a phone," Lifon said happily.

"Smile at me," Trowa retorted.

"_Excuse_ me?" Matty demanded, rounding on the man and flinching at the pain it caused his stupid ribs.

Trowa started laughing wickedly, then lowered his head as Taofa eyed him.

"He just wanted a smile," Lifon protested, smacking at him. "Anyone can _tell_ he's just messing around."

Matty gave her a look as she smiled at Trowa, then bounced forward to hang off of Heero's arm. Trowa flashed Matty a wicked grin that told him louder than words that he was _going_ to buy her a new phone—and Matty had a feeling he was just doing to annoy him.

He decided to let it pass with minimal notice—let the man buy her a stupid phone. Trowa might be a dumbass, but he did follow a line of propriety.

They needed to find him a girlfriend. Once he got a girlfriend it would be better.

Matty looked around to his father.

"I'm going to pick some stuff up at the store," Taofa noted. "I'll drop Barton off wherever he wants to go, then run to the store...you don't plan to be long, do you?"

"I can get my own ride home," Trowa started.

Taofa laughed a little. "Oh no...I wanted to talk to you really quick, so you do what you need to do, and I'll take you back to your place."

"The question becomes 'will I be alive when we get there?'" he noted, making slight air quotes.

"I think that depends on what you have to say, Brigadier Barton," Taofa's eyes were glittering. "Li, stay with your brother."

Lifon started giggling.

Trowa sighed regretfully, looking around for some sort of commiseration.

All he found was Jinli's smirk and Wufei's semi-innocent look. No one else was paying attention.

Matty looked down to his sister, raising an eyebrow.

She gave him _her_ innocent look, and focused on the soldier who had the paint.


End file.
